Hide the Truth
by HallowedRider
Summary: We all know that the Mako crew has grown quite adept at hiding their own secret, but what happens when a newcomer falls into the Moon Pool completely unknown to them? How will Marcus hide the fact that he is something completely unknown to him from everyone he knows? Can he keep his own secret? Moreover, can the Mako Crew uncover his secret?
1. Arrival

_Okay, maybe climbing here with no gear wasn't the smartest idea I've ever had._ He reflected as he struggled to find another handhold, searching the rock face for anything that could relieve the pressure that was building as his other hand struggled to hold his weight. He finally found such a handhold and breathed a sigh of relief as split the weight on his arms. He glanced down and whistled as he beheld the distance he had made up the rock face. _Well, I know why no one has climbed this before._ He said fairly before continuing his climb up the cliff.

The climb was not easy, not by any stretch of the imagination, but soon enough he managed to pull himself up over the cliff's edge and lay exhausted on the highest point of the island. "Whew," He said, glad for the lack of tension in his aching arms and legs. "That was harder than I thought."

He sat up and looked down the stretch he had just climbed and grinned confidently. He turned his attention back to the small plateau he had climbed up to and frowned at the hole he saw in the stone. He crawled over to the hole and peered inside, frowning when he realized that the hole went much further down then he had expected. Shrugging off his backpack he withdrew a long length of rope from the depths of his bag along with a climbing axe. He crawled back to the edge of the rock face and tied the rope to the climbing axe, tossing it down the side of the rock whence he came. He began drawing on the rope slowly until it grew taut as the climbing axe caught against the rock face. He tested the hold several times before tossing the rest of the rope down the hole.

"Come on Marcus," The man muttered to himself, peering down the hole as he gathered the rope in his hands. "This can't be a smart thing to do."

But he nonetheless began the descent down the rope, working hand-under-hand until he reached the bottom of the cavern, reveling in its quiet beauty. He swung himself to the edge of the cavern, almost slipping into the pool that gently lapped against the side of the stone. "Wow." He murmured, crouching down and examining the pool. He looked up and realized that this pool was exactly below the hole in the rock ceiling. "This place is pretty cool."

Marcus began to search around the small cave for an entrance other than the hole at the top of the cliff, but his inspection yielded nothing other than a small piece of some sort of broken metal. He dipped one hand in the pool and immediately withdrew it, wincing as the water seemed to shock him. Curiously, he dipped his hand in the pool again, and the same result happened. In fact, his hand felt as though it had fallen asleep the instant it had hit the water and was now protesting its movement. He flexed his fingers several times until the feeling returned to his digits. Sighing he began the trek back up the rope, his sigh turning into a groan as his arms protested the renewed strain being placed on them. He had just managed to reach the lip of the rocks when the climbing axe gave way. Momentarily weightless, Marcus managed to grab onto the edge of the hole with his fingers already aching from their sudden burden. Heart hammering in his chest, Marcus desperately tried to pull himself up but his fingers began to scrape against the stone, betraying his wishes. The rope continued to fall as it dragged the climbing axe over the lip of the hole in the rock, knocking loose Marcus's fingers as both it and the young man began to fall backward.

Marcus opened his mouth in a soundless scream, his arms pin-wheeling desperately in a fruitless attempt to slow his descent. The water felt like a cement floor when he finally crashed into the pool, back first, driving the remainder of air from his lungs. The same feeling that had attacked his hands now racked his entire body. Marcus thrashed in the water kicking, or at least he hoped he was kicking, his legs for the open air of the pool. He scrambled for the edge of the pool, hoping to feel his way to the top of the pool at the very least, but he quickly found that the call for air in his lungs was far too strong. He gasped in a breath and felt cold seawater fill his lungs. He felt his chest spasm as it struggled to handle the sudden influx of an unwelcome substance. His thrashing grew weaker and weaker until Marcus could no longer fight against the darkness that seemed to spread throughout his body. Curiously though, it wasn't as terrifying as he thought it should be. In fact, the water seemed to be more liberating than imprisoning. Marcus's eyes closed involuntarily as the last of his strength left his limbs. He felt his body gently fall against the floor of the pool and the shocking sensation that coursed through his frame seemed to be amplifying but it wasn't particularly painful.

 _I guess it's a lot like falling asleep._ Marcus thought as he drifted off to nothingness.

He meant to sit up with a sudden gasp, but the water that surrounded him prevented him from completing such an action. He ended up drawing a breath halfway through sitting up, which was far less dramatic than he had unintentionally planned. He knew right away that something was amiss, though not necessarily wrong. He knew he had just breathed in seawater, the taste on his tongue was unmistakable, and that he should have been dead but for some reason he wasn't. His legs kicked instinctively, and he pushed to the surface of the water. His head broke the surface and he drew in a ragged breath, the warm midday air filling lungs that had been filled with seawater only moments before. He looked around to get his bearings and Marcus saw the Mako Island sandy shores only a hundred feet away from him. He quickly kicked for the shore, eager to get out of the water and back onto solid land. When he finally dragged himself onto the shore he breathed a sigh of relief as he ran a quick look over his person and found that everything seemed to be more or less operational.

"What, in the hell, was that?" Marcus demanded, looking back to the cliffs he had climbed. "What is up with this island?" And he would get an answer, far sooner than he would have liked, and that answer would truly shake what he knew of the world to its core.


	2. Nice to Meet You?

Thankfully, the boat that Marcus had used to get to Mako had not drifted off from where had had anchored it off the beach. He did not want to go back into the water, but he shrugged off the momentary indecision and swam out to the vessel. The water did not shock him this time, which came as a relief. A naturally strong swimmer, the swim took Marcus very little time and he soon enough managed to pull himself into the boat. He shrugged off his soaked backpack and sat down on the boat's only seat. He gazed back to the island and shook his head. "I need to go back and get my climbing axe at some point."

He quickly pulled the anchor and started the outboard, gunning the motor and speeding back to the mainland. When he pulled up to the dock, the boat's owner was waiting at the end of the pier. Marcus threw him a line and killed the motor, letting the remnants of the boat's momentum carry it into its place at the docks. "Have a fun time out there?" The owner asked, tying off the rope with a flourish.

"Not bad." Marcus said, slinging the backpack over his shoulder and stepping onto the dock. "Nice place. What did you say that island was called?"

"Mako." The man smiled.

"What about Mako?" A brunette girl asked, walking down the dock and hugging the boat's owner.

"Oh, nothing." The owner laughed. "He was just asking what it was called."

"Planning a trip?" She asked Marcus, noting his waterlogged appearance.

"It would be a return trip." Marcus chuckled. "And maybe in a while. The cliffs there are actually pretty fun to climb. And the view form that little mountain thing in the center is pretty spectacular."

"You made it to the top of Mako?" The brunette asked.

"Yeah." Marcus shrugged. "Hey, listen, I would love to stay and chat but I have to get going. Thanks again for letting me borrow your boat."

"Not a problem." The owner smiled and extended his hand. "If you ever want to borrow her again, let me know. Heaven knows I don't get enough time to take her out."

"I will." Marcus shook the man's hand before heading down the docks. He heard the sound of feet hurrying down the dock after him and sure enough the brunette appeared on his left a few seconds later.

"Mind if I walk with you?" She asked breathlessly.

"Uh, no, I guess not." Marcus said. "Would you mind holding my bag for me? I need to get out of this shirt."

The brunette eyed the bag for a long moment as Marcus offered it to her before raising her hands in front of her and shaking her head. "Don't take this the wrong way, but no thanks. I have a thing about, uh, bags."

Marcus rolled his eyes before setting his bag on the hard wood of the dock and pulling off the long sleeved shirt he had donned for his climb up the rock face. He threw the wet shirt over his shoulder with a careless flick of his wrist and a few drops of water came loose from the fabric. "Oh, sorry." He apologized to the brunette when he saw the damp spots on her shirt. He only then saw her horrified expression and he raised an eyebrow. "It's just water… I didn't think it was such a big deal."

"Ihavetogo!" She said almost too quickly for Marcus to discern her words. She dove into the water, still fully garbed in her clothes, and disappeared from Marcus's vision. The boat's owner made his way down the dock to where Marcus stood in stumped confusion.

"Something wrong, kid?" He asked good-naturedly, bending over and picking up Marcus's bag and handing it to him.

"I'm not sure." Marcus admitted, still watching the spot where the girl had dove into the water. He took his bag back and slung it over his shoulders. "Thanks. Say, do you know the quickest way to Principal Santos's house?"

"Oh, Rita?" The man asked. "What, are you enrolling in the school here?"

"Yeah." Marcus nodded. "She told me to swing by this afternoon, so that I could meet her and all that. She seems pretty cool."

"Yeah, she is a right gem." The owner agreed. "Those nieces of hers are a bit funny, but my Evie and her little friends seem to get along with them alright so they can't be too bad."

"Yes." It was Marcus's go-to response whenever he wasn't sure how to respond to something. "So… those directions?"

The owner quickly pointed him in the right away and Marcus set off on his trek, the water in his shoes squelching every time he took a step. "Probably should have brought a change of clothes." He reflected as he walked down the road. He pulled out his phone which, thankfully, he had placed in a plastic bag before his climb. He pulled up the principal's email and scrolled through the text until he found her address.

"Hm." Marcus matched up the numbers on the address that he had been sent to the numbers on the gate in front of him before shrugging and pushing through the gate. He rapped on the front door with his bare knuckle several times before stepping back and waiting. He glanced down at his attire and sighed. "So much for a good first impression." His shorts were still dripping wet, his white T-shirt was sticking to his frame and his shoes audibly protested every time he moved.

The door opened a few moments later and Marcus's jaw dropped. He had only been in town for a few days and thus had only met a few people, and yet he was almost one hundred percent certain that the person who answered the door was _not_ Rita Santos. It was the brunette from earlier, accompanied by a boy of Marcus's age with black hair. "Hello." The boy said, clearly not aware of the stunned look on the girl's face.

"Uh, hi." Marcus said. "My name's Marcus White. Principal Santos wanted to meet with me before school started Monday… Is she home?"

"You are going to school here?" The brunette blurted out.

"Y-yeah." Marcus said, taken aback by the upfront tone of the girl. "Hey, where did you swim off to earlier? I really am sorry about getting that water on you. I swear it wasn't on purpose."

"I-it's fine." The brunette forced a smile. "Sorry I didn't introduce myself by the way. I'm Evie. This is Zach. Principal Santos is right inside, come on in and take a seat…."

Marcus lifted his hands slightly and let them fall to his sides, drawing attention to his soaked attire.

"Maybe we should have her meet you on the porch." Zach suggested.

Marcus dipped his head appreciatively. "Probably a good idea." He agreed.


	3. An Interesting Meeting

Principal Santos and, to Marcus's confusion, her nieces joined him on the woman's porch only a few minutes after Zach and Evie showed him there. "Hello Marcus." Principal Santos said, striding confidently onto the porch and extending a hand. "As I'm sure you can guess I am Principal Santos."

"Sort of guessed that." He said, getting quickly to his feet and shaking her hand. He waited until she sat down opposite him before retaking his seat. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for inviting me to meet like this."

"Not at all," She said, smiling warmly. "You've only been here a few days, correct?"

"That's right." Marcus nodded.

"And what do you think of our little town?" She sat back comfortably in her chair. Her pleasant smile seemed to be a permanent fixture on her face, which was at odds with the suspicious stares that the others were giving him.

"It's very nice." Marcus said, glancing in the direction of the nieces, Evie, and Zach and frowning slightly. " _Most_ people seem to be pretty friendly. And that island out there is pretty interesting."

"Oh, you mean Mako." Rita nodded. "Yes, Evie told me that you had already been there. I was going to recommend it myself."

"The rock climbing there is pretty spectacular." Marcus said, now trying to avoid looking at the still suspicious glares directed at him. "And the view from the top is spectacular."

"Did you by chance see a hole in the top of the rocks?" Principal Santos asked casually.

"Actually, yes." Marcus answered, surprised by the question. "It went down to this cave with a small pool in it."

"Did some exploring did you?" Rita asked pleasantly. "Oh, forgive me, you are probably thirsty. Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'm fine." Marcus politely declined with a small wave of his hand.

"I insist." Rita said, nodding to one of her nieces. "Mimi, would you mind getting some tea out of my _study_? The green container right below-."

"I know it!" Mimi said eagerly, disappearing into the house.

"Now, back to the question at hand, did you do any exploring in that cave?" Rita asked, steering the conversation away from the topic of tea.

"Uh, yeah." Marcus said, blinking in confusion with the suddenness of the subject changes. "I dropped a rope down and checked it out. How, exactly, did you know about that cave again?"

"I have lived here for a very long time." Rita told him. "I have explored every inch of that island. I very much doubt there is any secret cave or anything there that I am not aware of."

Accepting the explanation, Marcus relaxed in his seat. "Oh. So are there any other places to explore there?"

"Apart from a few caves beneath the water, not many at all. There are a few other caves, obviously, but they don't extend too far into the island. All in all it is not a very interesting place." Rita told him, obviously displeased with giving him such bad news. Her face brightened when Mimie returned with a tray bearing two mugs. She set the tray in front of Rita, shooting Marcus a glare as she did so, before retreating back to where the others stood. Rita reached for a cup and passed it to Marcus who took it reluctantly and stared into its liquid depths.

Marcus pursed his lips and arched an eyebrow as he examined the contents of the cup. "Something wrong?" Principal Santos asked, sipping appreciatively at her own tea.

"This is some, uh, interesting tea." Marcus said.

"What do you mean?" Rita asked, setting down her mug and leaning back in her chair.

"I don't mean any disrespect," Marcus said hurriedly as he realized that he may have unintentionally insulted the woman who would most likely be able to make his life hell for the next couple years. "I've just never heard of blue tea…"

"Do try it." Rita said encouragingly, taking another sip of her own drink as an example. "It's rather good."

"If you say so," Marcus said, raising the mug to his lips and taking a careful sip of the beverage. He immediately wished he hadn't. The 'tea' was ice cold and tasted absolutely horrendous. It made him think of what eating fish that had been left to fester in the sun for a week would be like. His eyes watered as the beverage traveled down his throat, but he managed to keep the vile concoction down. He very delicately placed the cup in front of him on the table, vowing to never again accept a single thing offered to him by the Principal. He suppressed a shudder as the coldness from the drink began to seep throughout his frame. "Thank you. It was… something." Marcus said, forcing a grateful smile.

"I'm glad you liked it." Principal Santos said. "So you start school tomorrow, correct?"

"Yup." Marcus said feeling the eyes of the others on him yet again. He sighed internally and continued his effort to ignore them to the best of his ability. "I know school started a few weeks back, but I should be able to catch up pretty quickly."

"I'm sure you will." Principal Santos agreed. "You seem to be a very intelligent young man."

"I appreciate that." Marcus smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not much of a trouble maker. You shouldn't see me around all that often. By the way, do you by any chance know any places around here that are hiring? My parents are sending me enough money for food, but I have to earn my own money for other things."

"As a matter of fact, yes, I do believe I know a place that is hiring." Principal Santos said after a moment. "Sirena, is David still looking for someone to fill that waiter position?"

Marcus turned to see one of the blonde nieces frowning. The other silent audience members were frowning as well, but they were frowning at Marcus whereas the blonde girl that Marcus assumed was Sirena was frowning at Rita. "Yes." She said after a moment. "I think so."

"Would you mind introducing the two of them?" Principal Santos asked happily. "I believe that we may have solved David's lack of employee issue."

Marcus turned back to the principal just in time to see her hide a look that he couldn't place. But just as fast as the look disappeared, the normal warm smile reappeared and she stood up from the table. "Well, I am sorry that we could not speak longer but I have matters that I must attend to." She walked around the table just as Marcus stood up and placed her hand on his back. "Please, let me show you out."

"It's fine, thank you for speaking with me." Marcus began to turn away from the table and in that motion he saw the depths of Rita's cup. The blue tea was untouched in the least. His brow furrowed in confusion as he recalled the principal drinking from her cup at length. True to her word, Rita walked him to her gate and bid him farewell before turning back and disappearing back inside her house. Her nieces, Evie, and Zach quickly followed her inside leaving Marcus alone outside with the rapidly dropping sun.

He began to walk down the street, reaching for his cell phone in his pocket to check the time. His fingers came across nothing but the fabric of his pocket and he groaned as he remembered that he had left his bag on Rita's porch. "Well, they won't mind if I run back and grab it." He muttered to himself, turning back around and jogging back to the Principal's house.

He slipped quietly past the gate and made his way onto the porch, sighing in relief when he saw his slightly dry bag sitting right where he had left it. He swung it onto his shoulders and began to walk back to the gate when he caught the unmistakable sounds of arguing coming from within the house.

He stopped immediately and berated himself just as fast. "Come on Marcus," He muttered to himself. "Just leave. It's not your business."

But he nonetheless stayed where he stood, his ears straining to catch any more of the conversation. Sure enough, a few moments later the raised voices continued.

"I know, Ondina, I know." Principal Santos was saying, clearly agitated. "I don't like the fact that he found the Moon Pool either, but if we made a big deal out of it then he would almost certainly go back!"

"Moon Pool?" Marcus repeated under his breath. "What's a Moon Pool?" His thoughts quickly flashed back to the pool at the bottom of the cave and his frown grew more pronounced just as the voices continued.

"Who knows what he is going to do now!" A girl, who Marcus assumed was Ondina, was saying. "He can go there any time now!"

"I doubt he will." Rita said, clearly trying to calm her down. "He didn't seem impressed by the Moon Pool chamber at all. If anything he is going to start looking through the other parts of the island. But you are right, we should keep an eye on him for the time being. Just in case he came into contact with water from the Moon Pool."

"Do you think he did?" Mimi asked. "He drank the tea after all."

"And he nearly choked on it." Rita said gravely. "He may have truly not liked it, or his body might have rejected the poison."

 _Poison?_ Marcus mouthed incredulously to himself. _What is up with these people?_

"I can ask Cam to buddy up to him tomorrow." Zach offered. "It shouldn't be a problem. Cam gets along with pretty much anyone. With him being a new kid and all, it should be pretty easy to make friends with him."

"That would be very helpful." Rita said, clearly thankful for the idea. "Even if he isn't interested in the chamber, we should definitely try to keep him busy with other things just in case."

"That's why you wanted me to ask David to get him a job." Sirena said, comprehension dawning in her voice. "I see now."

"Exactly. Well, all of you should get back to your homes." Rita told them, her words accompanied by the sound of someone clapping their hands. "Evie, Zach, the two of you have school tomorrow and girls I am sure that the mermaid council has some manner of lessons planned for you."

"Mermaid council?" Marcus breathed, confused. "What in the world…?" But any further eavesdropping he might have done was cut short by the sound of people stirring within the house.

Cursing softly, Marcus crept around the side of the house and out of the driveway. Once he got onto the road he began to sprint, and continued to run until he rounded the corner. He paused there, and peeked back around the trees. Curiously however, though they had been dismissed none of them used the gate to leave the house. After a few minutes Marcus stopped spying and turned back around, his mind buzzing with everything he had just overheard. "What in the hell is going on here?" He demanded, but no one save the trees and the wind heard his request.


	4. First Day

The constant beeping of his alarm clock came far too soon for Marcus who had not gotten a single wink of sleep that night. He turned his head to look at the slightly vibrating electronic and thought long and hard about hitting the snooze button for a second time. Eventually the beeping became too much to bear and he silenced his alarm, swinging his legs over the side of his bed and getting to his feet with a loud groan. He stumbled his way to his bathroom and turned on the shower, wincing as the cold water assaulted him momentarily until the hot water began to run. An involuntary shudder racked his body for several seconds, not stopping until he got out from under the water and dried himself off.

"What is going _on_?" Marcus complained for perhaps the hundredth time that day. He rubbed his eyes and checked himself in a mirror, scowling at the bags under them. He ran a through his tousled auburn hair and sighed mightily before throwing on a shirt and shorts. He grabbed his spare backpack from his closet and headed out the door, locking it behind him and tossing the key into one of the potted plants that lined the porch of his parent's house.

He hummed quietly to himself as he walked, enjoying the relative coolness of the morning. To anyone who happened to see Marcus would see a young man in a particularly good mood, which was not entirely false, but Marcus could not bring himself to stop thinking about what he had overheard. He had tried, several times in fact, but each time he managed to get his mind off track it would snap back to the conversation like a rubber band. "Hey! Marcus!" Zach called, running out of a house to Marcus's left. He threw on his backpack as he ran, a piece of toast held in his teeth. When he reached Marcus's side he removed the toast and smiled at the newcomer. Marcus found the happy expression very odd as he had spent a good time yesterday being glared at by Zach.

"Uh, hi. Zach, right?" Marcus asked, though he knew perfectly well who he was.

"Yeah." Zach said, taking a bite of his toast and quickly swallowing it. "Hey, sorry about being so cold yesterday. I guess I'm not that great with new people."

"Uh huh." _You tried to poison me you bastard._ Marcus thought sourly. "Its fine I guess."

"So you live around here?" Zach asked after a brief pause in conversation.

"Yeah, in that house on the corner." Marcus said, waving vaguely back whence he had come.

"Just you and your parents?" Zach whistled. "That's a big house."

"No, just me." Marcus said with a shrug. "I asked my parents if I could come out here for school. I got tired of boarding school so they bought me a house."

"They bought you a house." Zach said, nearly choking on a mouthful of bread and butter. "Just because you wanted to come to school here?"

Marcus shrugged uncomfortably. His parents' wealth had always made him uneasy especially when he discussed it with other people. In all honesty, when he had told Rita that his parents' wanted him to work for anything he wanted himself he had been lying. He had a credit card with no limit currently collecting dust somewhere in his closet. "Well, they wanted a summer house." Marcus lied.

"What do they do for a living?" Zach wondered aloud.

"Listen, Zach, I had a really long night and I would rather not talk about this. Is that alright?" Marcus asked, effectively terminating all further conversation.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Zach smiled. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small water bottle. Marcus looked away when he suddenly felt water on the back of his neck. He immediately began to shudder, reaching desperately to wipe off the liquid.

He turned to Zach and glared daggers at him. "What the hell man?" Marcus demanded, the last of the water gone from his skin. The shudders stopped and he exhaled an angry breath.

"Oh, s-sorry." Zach said, "I, uh, I slipped."

"Over what?" Marcus exclaimed, gesturing to the flat surface around them.

"You know I really have terrible balance." Zach told him. "I can trip on pretty much anything."

"There's nothing to trip _on_." Marcus argued. He threw up his hands and shook his head. "I don't have time for this. Listen, just leave me alone for a bit alright?"

"Yeah man." Zach said, walking backwards in front of Marcus and raising his hands. "My bad again. Catch you in class."

"I _really_ hope not." Marcus muttered as Zach jogged into the school. He covered his face with his hands and groaned into them for a long moment before slapping his cheeks lightly and shaking his head. He swung his backpack around and dug into a sheaf of papers withdrawing a list of classes. At the bottom of the paper, written in elegant sweeping handwriting, was a locker number and a combination. He looked up at the school in front of him and took a deep breath. He raised his chin and strode forward confidently, swinging on his backpack as he walked. He let a confident smile grow on his face until he seemed to exude confidence.

By the time he was walking into his first class he had allowed himself to entertain the possibility that his first day might not have been that bad. When he scanned the class he immediately knew that such a notion was clearly not going to be possible. Sitting in class, obviously awaiting his arrival, were Zach, Evie, and a blonde haired man who Marcus immediately knew to be Cam. _Ya know, maybe boarding school wasn't so bad._ Marcus thought, though he made his way into the classroom and let the teacher introduce him to the class.

"Well, I see we have an open seat next to Zach and Evie." The teacher said, smiling politely at his newest student. "Please, take your seat. I will get you your textbooks at the end of class. Today we are watching a movie at any rate."

"Yeah, great." Marcus said as he made his way to his seat. He shrugged off his backpack and slid into his seat. Immediately, all three of his neighbors leaned in.

"New student, eh?" Cam asked sympathetically. "No worries, my name's Cam."

"Marcus." He said, painting a friendly smile on his face although he felt anything but friendly.

"So, Marcus, we were just talking about going to the café after school today." Evie said, clearly acting as though she hadn't spent yesterday staring a hole in the back of Marcus's head.

"Well, I hope you have a good time." He said brightly. He saw the invitation, actually it seemed more like an order but he didn't want to split hairs, but he had his own ideas for what he would be doing after school. He had decided last night that he would return to that Moon Cave or whatever they had called it. But he had a feeling that returning to the island would not be as easy as it had been the first time. In fact, unless he was very much mistaken, he felt certain that Principal Santos's young cohorts would do their best to ensure that he did not make it back to Mako.

"You should come with us!" Zach said encouragingly. "This is the place that Rita, er, Principal Santos was talking about. We'll introduce you to David and you can start working there today if you'd like."

Caught, Marcus admitted defeat and turned to them. "Well, I guess I'll see you after school then."

 _I'll have to give them the slip at some point._ Marcus thought to himself as the teacher shushed the class and turned off the lights before starting the movie. _I need to know what they are hiding in that cave._


	5. Return to the Island

"So, when I said I would see after school I didn't realize that I would be seeing you all day as well." Marcus said honestly as the final bell for school rang. The class got to their feet as a single entity and Marcus set his backpack over one shoulder.

"Yeah, pretty cool having all the same classes." Cam said brightly, placing an arm around Marcus's shoulders and steering him out of the classroom and into the outside world. Zach and Evie followed closely behind them, chatting away.

Carefully extracting himself from under Cam's arm, Marcus stepped away and said, "Listen, I appreciate that you guys are trying to make me feel welcome and all that but I have some things I need to do."

"Oh well, alright." Evie said, clearly unhappy with Marcus's polite excusal. "You are going to meet us at the café, right?"

"Of course." Marcus said smoothly. "I just need to run home and grab some things. Where is this place at?"

"You know where the docks are, right?" Evie asked. "It's on the raised pier opposite them. Large glass doors, you can't miss it."

"Alright, well, I will meet you there once I grab some things at home." Marcus said, turning down the street towards his house and walking away from the trio. "See ya later."

In all reality, Marcus did indeed have every intention of meeting them at the café. But first he wanted to take another crack at Mako. He grabbed the key from the potted plant and unlocked the door to his house, throwing the door open wide and letting it slowly close. He placed the key on an end-table as he walked inside, heading to the kitchen. He had just reached into his refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water just as the door to the house finally closed. He made his way upstairs and grabbed his spare backpack and another long coil of rope from his spare climbing gear before sweeping back out of his house. He closed the door behind him and quickly locked it, tossing the key in the plant as he always did.

Once he stepped onto the street he frowned as a strange shiver ran up his spine. He turned around, searching for what though he was not sure. He shrugged off the momentary unease and continued down the street, heading toward the docks. As he expected, the pier was teeming with people going about their various tasks. He wandered down the pier, searching for one person in particular andtheir various tasks. He wandered down the pier, searching for one person in particular. He found the man he was looking for hunched over his boat's engine compartment and grumbling a steady stream of curses. "Ahoy!" Marcus called, laughing quietly at his own joke.

"Ahoy?" Evie's father said as he sat up and wiped his sweaty brow with the back of his hand. "What are you, a pirate now?"

"Maybe." Marcus said thoughtfully. "I think I would make a very good pirate."

"Well, you won't do much pirating without a ship." He told the young man, tossing him the key to his small boat. "You came to take her out on another trip, right?"

"That's right." Marcus grinned. "Gonna do some more exploring on Mako."

"Be careful." Evie's father warned as he returned to work on his boat. "Tonight's a full moon. Mako gets a bit funny on nights like tonight."

"A bit funny?" Marcus asked curiously.

"Don't ask." The man said, grunting as he began to tug on something in the depths of the engine compartment. "It's just a bit of local superstition. Just be careful out there, eh?"

"No problem." Marcus agreed. "Where are you going to be when I get back?"

"I probably won't be around much longer." The man said, "If you are worried about the keys don't worry about it. Just give them to Evie tomorrow at school if you see her."

"Oh, I don't think that will be much of a problem." Marcus said under his breath. "They seem to be following me."

Marcus bade the man farewell and made his way to the end of the pier where the small watercraft sat bobbing gently in the water. He stepped onto the aluminum hull and set his backpack down on the floor, taking a seat at the helm. He quickly started the outboard and untied the boat from the dock, pushing off with one foot. He waited until he was away from the other boats before gunning the engine and speeding off towards the island that was barely discernible in the distance. The closer he got to the island, the more his anticipation grew of what he might find in his exploration. The sun was already low in the sky, the beginnings of the evening already evident in its off-orange rays of light. When he finally ran the boat onto the sand his gut was tight with anticipation. He tied the boat off to a heavy-looking driftwood stump that had washed up on the beach and set off into the island.

When he had finally found his way back to the cliffs he had climbed the other day Marcus immediately withdrew the rope from his bag and tied it off to a nearby boulder. He pulled on the rope several times before beginning his climb up the rock face. The climb this time wasn't easy, but as he had prior knowledge of the cliff he made his way to the top in less than half the time it had taken him last time. As he pulled himself onto the ledge the last vestiges of the sun had disappeared over the horizon. As before, the hole in the top of the rocks astounded Marcus. He had actually begun to wonder if he had possibly imagined his escapade into the cave. He tested the rope he had tied to his waist again before pulling a second coil from his bag along with another climbing axe. As before, he tossed the axe over the side of the cliff and pulled on it slowly until it caught on the rock face. Not willing to take any chances, Marcus yanked on the rope hard for several minutes until he was absolutely certain that it was not going to go anywhere. He turned back to the hole and hesitated for just a moment. He took a step back and yanked on the first rope once more with all his might, just to test it once more to put his mind at ease.

He yanked hard on the rope and immediately felt the weightlessness on the other end. The force of his moment staggered him back several steps and he teetered on the edge of the cliffs for a long moment. His arms wind milled as he desperately tried to reclaim his balance, but to no avail. He began to descend backward slowly at first but he was soon enough falling through open air. He fell perhaps twenty feet when he felt a sudden jerk around his navel as the second rope was suddenly pulled tight. His breath was stolen from him as the rope tightened around his middle, but the feeling was quickly erased. The sudden stop spun his head against the side of the rock and the last thing he remembered seeing was spots of color dancing before his eyes before he passed out.


	6. Painful Sleep

Marcus came to, slowly, blinking several times as a searing headache racked his brain. He felt weightless and that feeling coupled with his headache brought bile up in his throat. He righted himself and retched violently. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand he tried to make sense of what happened and where he was. He remembered losing his balance, falling, and then everything went black. He shook his head and immediately regretted his action as his headache throbbed painfully. He looked into the sky to gain his bearings and saw the full moon shining down directly above him. Marcus's eyes widened and he suddenly felt all his pain wash away as though it had never been there to begin with. He grabbed the rope he was dangling from and began to pull himself up the cliff. Even as he climbed, hand-over-hand, he couldn't take his eyes off of the moon. It seemed to be calling him, drawing him, beckoning him. He couldn't imagine even wanting to resist such a beautiful thing. Before he even consciously realized it he was back at the top of the cliffs, staring dumbly up at the moon as his feet moved forward seemingly of their own accord.

He felt weightless again, but this time the feeling filled him with elation instead of fear. The pool seemed to slowly advance upon him as he fell. As he was falling however, somehow Marcus was snapped from his reverie. He instantly knew that he was falling, and just before he hit the water he shouted out, "Oh shi-."

He hit the water with the curse on his lip, and felt his heart stop in his chest for a full ten seconds. He hung suspended in the pool, begging his heart to restart. To his great relief it did, and he wasted no time in trying to escape from the pool. He grabbed the rope that was tied around his waist and began to pull himself out of the pool, doing his best to ignore how the water seemed to be pulling at his very soul. When he finally broke the surface, he didn't bother celebrating the small victory. Not until was he out of the cave and rappelling down the side of the cliff did he even let himself take a breather. When he did stop to breathe it was only for a second. Then he was continuing his descent down the mountain, landing on the stone and running for the beach. He untied the boat and pushed it into the water, starting the outboard the second he leapt into the small craft. He gunned the motor and turned the boat away from Mako, heading as fast as he could get the boat to go towards the mainland. At that moment Marcus wanted nothing more than to get as far as he could from that accursed island that seemed to be trying its best to kill him at every opportunity. When he finally reached the docks and tied the boat off to the wood. He pulled the keys from the watercraft and ran off the docks as fast as his legs would carry him. For some reason, Marcus couldn't shake the feeling that he was still underwater. Even breathing was a struggle as his body rebelled against the combined feeling of being submerged and trying to draw breath. He had only slight difficulty making it to his home in the pitch dark, that difficulty being finding his keys without the benefit of a light source. He fumbled in the darkness for a moment while he searched for the keyhole, but when he found it and managed to turn the key in the lock and step inside his house he quickly realized that he had been followed.

"Oh, hey Marcus!" Zach said, nearly making Marcus jump out of his skin.

Marcus yowled like a cat and shot straight up in the air at the unexpected statement and slipped on his floor as his wet shoes failed to regain traction. He crashed onto the hardwood and groaned in pain. "What are you doing here?" Marcus demanded the second he regained his breath.

Zach stepped forward and offered Marcus a friendly hand which Marcus slapped away angrily. He got to his feet unassisted and glared at Zach. "Are you stalking me now?" He demanded.

"No!" Zach said immediately, shaking his head vigorously. "I was just walking around outside. I, uh, I had a fight with Evie and couldn't sleep."

"So you decide that scaring me would be a good idea?" Marcus shot, slipping off his backpack and tossing it carelessly to one side.

"I said I was sorry." Zach said, frowning. "Anyways, what are you doing up so late? It looks like you just got back from somewhere."

"Yeah." Marcus said, happy to let the conversation end there.

"Mako?" Zach asked.

Marcus heaved a sigh and headed into his kitchen. "I can see you aren't planning on leaving anytime soon so you might as well give me some information." Marcus told him, returning with two cans of pop. He tossed one to Zach who caught it easily and nodded his thanks. "Come on, I don't feel like being inside right now."

"Sure." Zach said, opening his drink and taking an appreciative sip. "What did you want to know?"

"Well, first off what is the deal with you guys and Mako?" Marcus asked bluntly. He had very little tolerance for small talk at that moment and he very much wanted to hear Zach's answer.

"What do you mean?" Zach asked carefully.

"When Evie first heard I went to Mako she looked like I had just shot her best friend." Marcus told him. "And then when I got some water on her she freaked out and dove into the water."

"Maybe she just wanted a swim?" Zach suggested.

 _So he knows._ Marcus said, instinctively knowing that he was being lied to. Telling when someone was lying was a gift that he had. It wasn't by any means perfect, he had been wrong before of course, but more often than not his suspicion was correct. _Whatever is going on with Evie he knows._

"Maybe," Marcus said evenly, "But I don't think so. Why are you so eager to keep people from going to Mako?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." Zach told him, his voice the sound of innocence. "We don't keep anyone from going to Mako. Principal Santos even told you some places to explore."

 _Yes, but she is just as involved as you are._ Marcus mused. He decided to forego this line of questioning as it was proving to be useless. Whatever was going on with that island, Zach was not going to be conned into telling him. _Which means whatever he is hiding is important to him and the others._

Marcus began to ask smaller questions then, about school, the café, and even Rita's nieces. Zach seemed more than happy to answer these questions now that they had steered away from the topic of Mako. _Whatever you people are hiding, I am going to find out._ Marcus silently promised Zach. _You might have more people, but eventually one of you are going to slip up._

They chatted for a while longer before Zach excused himself and returned to his own home. While Marcus was lying in bed that night waiting for sleep to take him, one phrase continued to repeat itself in his mind. "Mermaid council…." He murmured to himself as he finally drifted off into the sea of sleep.


	7. Discovery

Marcus's alarm was going off again, however this time he had a sneaking suspicion that his alarm would take exception to him hitting the snooze button. "Marcus, come on man wake up!" Cam was saying, giving his shoulders a gentle shake.

"No." Marcus moaned, burying his head deeper into the depths of his sweat shirt. "Five more minutes."

"School _ended_ five minutes ago." Evie told him. "Come on, we're going to the café to hang out with the girls."

"What girls?" Marcus asked irritably, finally raising his head and rubbing his eyes. Even as reluctant as he was to admit it, he had to admit that he was actually rather enjoying spending some time with Zach, Evie, and Cam. With that being said however, he still had every intention of uncovering whatever it was they were hiding.

"Rita's nieces." Zach told him as Marcus got to his feet and followed them out of the door. "They want to meet you."

Marcus didn't comment on the fact that the last time they had met the nieces, along with his current companions minus Cam, had spent the majority of the time glaring daggers at his back. "Well, I need to go to the café to speak to David anyways." He said with a careless shrug. When they stepped outside Marcus gave a small shiver and looked up into the sky, frowning.

"Something wrong?" Cam asked curiously, noticing Marcus's change of attitude.

"No, not really." He answered, frowning at the sky and contemplating. "It's about to rain in about an hour."

"Rain?" Zach asked as he looked up at the sky. "What are you talking about? There isn't a cloud in sight."

Marcus didn't bother arguing. He was used to such a reaction from people when he told them such news. But as he glanced up at the sky he knew very surely that rain was on its way. "So why do they want to meet me?" Marcus asked. "They didn't seem all that friendly last time."

"Well, they aren't really all that social." Evie admitted.

"Uh huh. That much I could tell." Marcus admitted. "Oh, by the way, Evie?"

"Hm?" She asked, her wingers tightly interwoven with Zach's.

"Here." Marcus pulled the keys to her father's boat out of his pocket and tossed them to her. "Your dad let me borrow your boat yesterday. He wanted me to give the keys back to you today."

"Oh, well, thank you." She said, storing the keys in her pocket.

They stepped onto the wooden planks of the pier just as an ominous sound of thunder rolled across the sky. His three companions looked at Marcus suspiciously, awaiting an explanation. "What?" He asked defensively. "I knew it was going to rain."

"How?" Cam asked.

"Intuition mostly." Marcus said, frowning at all of them in turn. "I don't see what the big deal is honestly. You guys are acting like I _made_ it rain."

"Yeah, that would be crazy." Cam said with a strained laugh. "Come on, let's get inside before it starts. I don't feel like getting soaked."

"Yeah, me either." Zach agreed, holding the door open for the others.

"Rain doesn't bother me." Marcus said fairly, walking into the café with a grateful nod to Zach as he passed. "But apparently it bothers other people." The café was almost empty, the only occupants being a brown haired man behind the counter speaking to a girl with long blonde hair and three girls sitting at a table. Marcus instantly recognized the three girls as Rita's nieces. Just as he saw them, the three turned to look at him. One of the blonde girls stood up and strode across the café to Marcus, a pink juice of some sort in her hand.

Marcus decided to try and be friendly and raised a hand in a friendly greeting. He had just opened his mouth to say hello when the pink juice from the girl's cup made the transition from its plastic vessel to all over Marcus's face. He blinked several times in mute shock before very slowly wiping off his face with his hands, flicking the pink juice onto the floor. His vision was slightly tinged with red, although that had nothing to do with the drink that he had just had thrown in his face. He glanced around the café and saw that everyone was watching him with very rapt attention. "Well," He said through gritted teeth as the icy liquid began to drip from his chin. "It's nice to meet you too."

"I'll, uh, I'll get you a towel." David said, reaching under the counter and tossing him one.

Marcus caught it with one hand and used it to wipe his face off, though he couldn't do anything about the juice that had gotten down the front of his shirt. "Thanks." He said as he tossed the towel back to David. "Well, it's been fun." He said, turning around and beginning to walk out of the establishment.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Zach said, grabbing his arm before he could leave. "Listen, I'm sorry about that. Ondina's sorry too, aren't you?"

"Not really." The girl said carelessly. She took her seat again and lounged in her seat, clearly much more at ease than she had been when he first walked through the door. "I _am_ sorry I ruined my juice though."

"At least she's honest?" Cam offered. He slapped Marcus on the back reassuringly. "Don't worry, she grows on you."

"I'll take your word for it." Marcus said sourly. "Anyways, David, Principal Santos said you might be interested in giving me a job?"

"Yeah," David nodded. "You mind if I speak to you in the back for a moment?"

"Sure." Marcus said, following him into the back room without sparing so much as a glance towards the others. When David closed the door behind them he raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?" He asked curiously.

"No, not wrong." David told him, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "But I ran a background check on you. Standard policy I am trying to enforce with new people."

"I see." Marcus nodded, knowing immediately what David had seen. His parents happened to be one of the top one hundred wealthiest people in the world. Not combined, separately. "Did you tell anyone?"

"No," David shook his head. "It's not my place to tell. But I do have a question. If you have so much money, why would you bother getting a job?"

"Because I don't like people assuming that because I have money means I can get whatever I want." Marcus shrugged. "I like to earn my own."

David processed this for a minute before nodding and extending a hand. "It can get pretty crazy here." He warned him. "You'll be working every day after school as soon as you can get here."

"That's fine." Marcus said, shaking the proffered hand.

"The guy whose position you are filling had an issue with coming to work on time." David told him. "I am a fair guy, I'll give you one chance if you mess up."

Marcus immediately thought of exactly how he would use that one strike, and moreover when. He smiled at David and said, "I appreciate that. We all make mistakes, right?"

"Exactly." David nodded.

They exited the room and Marcus immediately made his way around the bar and began to pour himself a glass of water. Sipping it casually, he stepped out from around the bar and pulled up a seat at Zach's table. "Well, I am the newest employee here." Marcus said cheerfully.

"Want to tell us what David talked to you about?" Evie asked curiously.

"Not at all." Marcus said, still very cheerful. "But, he did tell me something very interesting."

"And what's that?" Zach asked.

Marcus smiled and leaned back in his chair giving the appearance that he was stretching. In truth, he was not stretching at all, he was setting up his revenge. He had taken the seat he was now at for a very important reason; He was sitting back to back with Ondina. The blonde haired woman was engrossed in conversation with her two friends and didn't seem to notice the glass of water that was directly above her head. The other two at the table however did, and their shouts of warning were an instant too late. Marcus tipped the cup over and the contents washed over Ondina's head, soaking her instantly.

"What did you just-." Ondina began, whirling in her seat and glaring at Marcus.

"Ondina!" One of the girls exclaimed, genuine fear and worry in her words.

Whatever else she was going to say was quickly forgotten as the same fear and worry flashed across her face. She bolted from her seat and made for the door, but she never made it. The remnants of her pink juice proved to be extremely slippery, quickly halting her progress and making her fall. She landed on her back and Marcus got to his feet, worried about her. "Are you…" He began, not noticing the looks that were being exchanged by the rest of the café's occupants. The reason the normally observant young man was not seeing their looks was because something that should have been impossible was on the ground before him. Ondina had fallen to the ground with two legs, but she now lay on the ground with a long beautiful green fish's tail.

Marcus couldn't find any words to speak, staring silently at Ondina. Her eyes were filled with rage whilst his were filled with fear and wonder. He glanced back to the others and saw that they were all on their feet, clearly waiting for Marcus's reaction. "Start talking." He told them. "Why are you trying to keep me away from Mako? What is the deal with the water in that pool in the cave? What is going on here?"


	8. New Information

Marcus waited as they thoroughly toweled off Ondina's hair and tail, watching them with rapt attention. David flipped the sign on the door to closed and closed the curtains, ensuring that no one else would stumble upon the secret. When Ondina's tail disappeared and was replaced by her legs Marcus's eyes widened in surprise but he quickly struck the expression from his face. He waited for Ondina to get to her feet before crossing his arms and saying, "Okay, now start talking."

"Do you have any idea what you have done?" Ondina demanded, walking across the floor and getting right in Marcus's face. "Any idea at all?"

"Well, I seem to have pissed you off." Marcus observed.

"Marcus, people _can't_ know about this." Evie told him fervently. "Even David, Cam, and Carly shouldn't even know."

"I'm going to guess this has something to do with the mermaid council." Marcus mused.

The café was silent for a moment that was heavy with tension before one of the girls, Mimi he recalled her name being, said in a shaky voice, "How do you know about the mermaid council?"

Ondina grabbed a juice that David had been in the process of making and emptied the contents over Marcus's head. He nodded slowly as the juice, this one blue, began to travel down his neck. "Okay," He said fairly, "I probably deserved that. I overhead you guys talking the other day when I met Principal Santos. I forgot my bag and went back to get it when I overheard you guys arguing."

"So you eavesdropped on us?" Evie asked, outraged.

"That's such an ugly term." Marcus said, frowning. "I prefer the term 'gathered information.' You kept on talking about all sorts of weird things. I kind of thought that you were crazy to be honest, up until you talked about that Moon Pool cave or whatever it is. Something is up with that, isn't it? I fell in there, twice, and I felt like the water…. I don't know. I can't explain it."

"You fell in the Moon Pool?" Mimi demanded, "Last night? The night of the full moon? When? We were guarding the Pool!"

"I really don't know." Marcus said honestly. "I fell over the side of the cliff and hit my head pretty hard. The sun was still setting when I fell. When I woke up it was pitch black except for the moon. I climbed back up and… I don't really know. I felt like the moon was calling me. Next thing I know was that I was falling into the water. I grabbed onto the rope and I managed to pull myself out of the water before it knocked me out again."

"Again?" Cam repeated. "It knocked you out before?"

"Yeah, that first time I found that cave." Marcus said. "I fell in and I woke up underwater outside the cave."

"Underwater?" Zach repeated. "You didn't drown."

"No, that's the weird thing." Marcus said. He suddenly frowned and glared at the people staring at him. "I thought I was the one asking questions here."

"Who says we are going to answer anything you ask?" Ondina growled, obviously still miffed about the whole tail thing.

"Do you _want_ to play the silent treatment game?" Marcus asked her. "Because I can promise you that you won't win. I don't even like talking to you to begin with."

"Well that makes two of us." Ondina said, stalking away and pulling up a chair. She sat down and began to systematically shred a napkin that had the misfortune of being on the table in front of her.

"Anyways, yeah I was underwater when I woke up." Marcus said, now doing his utmost to ignore the angry blonde female. "I even took a breath. It didn't kill me, obviously, it felt pretty normal actually."

"Have you tried breathing underwater since?" Serena asked, finally speaking up. "The Moon Pool can do strange things to humans."

"You know, intentionally drowning myself hasn't been that far up on my list of things to do. Strange, I know." Marcus said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "I've answered your questions, now you answer mine."

Everyone in the café with the exception of Marcus exchanged loaded glances and the room fell into silence. When it looked like no one would speak Marcus made a noise of annoyance and stood up from his seat. "Fine." He told them. "If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. But I _will_ find out what's going on here."

He had made it to the door when Zach finally spoke up. "Marcus, wait." He told him. "I'll answer your questions."

"Zach!" Everyone in the bar except for Evie and Cam exclaimed.

"Look, he already knows about Ondina and the Moon Pool." Zach explained patiently. "We might as well tell him what he doesn't know."

"Look, I have no intention of revealing your secret to the world." Marcus told them, frowning at the formality of the phrase. "Seriously. We all have our secrets. I know yours and David knows mine."

"He's a multi-millionaire." David said immediately after being fixed with a positively terrifying look by Ondina.

Marcus rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger before clapping his hands together. "Well, now you all know my secret. Thank you David for letting us all know you are awful at secret keeping."

"Sorry mate." He apologized. "Seemed only right."

" _Multi_ -millionaire?" Cam asked incredulously. "And you want to work? Here?"

"I am more than happy to discuss my financial state at a later time." Marcus told him. He paused for a moment and then changed his mind. "Actually I'm not. Don't ask."

"Marcus, it might be better if we had this conversation with someone else." Mimi told him with surprising gentleness. "Meet us at Rita's house in an hour and we'll answer all of your questions."

"Fine." He said, happy to finally be getting some answers. "I'll be there."

"Serena, Ondina, come on." Mimi told them. "We should go warn Rita. She'll want to know about this."

They left the café as one, none of them so much as sparing a backward glance for Marcus or any of the others. "They don't like me very much." Marcus observed. "Can't blame them."

"No?" Evie asked, surprised. "Why not?"

"Because I uncovered their secret." Marcus said bluntly. "I shouldn't have. I can't even say I'm glad I did because I'm not. I think I just made life a whole lot harder on your guys."

"As long as you keep our secret, no you didn't." Zach told him. "Cam, David, and Carly know."

"But I'm guessing you've known them for a while." Marcus said. "You've known me for, what, like two days? It's probably a lot harder to trust me."

They seemed to be at a loss for words. Marcus smiled at them and shrugged. "You don't have to worry about me, or keep an eye on me for that matter. Your secret is safe with me. Just worry about yourselves. I'll see you guys at Rita's."

The sky had grown dark whilst Marcus was inside and the rumbling of thunder now seemed almost constant. He glanced up and sighed, knowing he would not make it to his house in time to avoid the rain. He wanted to change his shirt before going to Rita's, and possibly get a shower as well.

It turned out that he was correct, but he was on his front step when the rain finally began. The clouds burst forth and a heavy downpour quickly drenched Marcus as he fumbled blindly for the key in the flower pot. He had just unlocked the door when he suddenly felt his legs grow numb, hot, and cold all at the same time. "What the…"

His voice trailed off as he stepped through the door and shut it behind him. Suddenly, he pitched forward as his balance was compromised. Holding himself up by his elbows he tried to get to his feet. His legs however, were not responding as they should have. He turned around and saw the reason for that. A long blue tail was flapping against his hardwood floor as he tried to move his now nonexistent legs. "Oh come _on_." He moaned, putting his forehead against the floor. "This can _not_ be happening."


	9. Learning Curve

"No, no, no." Marcus repeated, staring with horror down at his tail. He grabbed desperately for anything that he could use to wipe off the foreign lower half of his body. He ended up grabbing a blanket that was neatly folded in a small pile of clothes he had done recently. The pile was upturned when he whipped the base out from underneath it, sending clothes everywhere. But Marcus didn't pay it any mind, wiping off the tail _his_ tail with an almost manic fervor. He made sure to get every single drop of water off of the scales and just as Ondina's had not an hour earlier, his legs returned once they were dry. His clothes returned as well, but he found that to be a trite mercy compared to what he found himself faced with. The very secret he had just sworn to upkeep had now become his own. The only difference, he quickly realized, was that they were not aware of _his_ secret while he was very aware of theirs.

"Alright, alright." He said, jumping to his feet and beginning to pace back and forth across his floor, his footfalls nearly silent on the polished wooden floor. "Just breathe, Marcus, breathe." He followed his own advice, taking several deep breaths and exhaling through his nostrils.

Then the significance of what had just happened fully hit him. "I've got to tell the others. Maybe they know some way to reverse this." He flung open his door and stepped through, before quickly realizing his mistake. The rain ran down his neck and arms in less than a second and Marcus was diving back through his door an instant later, his legs transforming into a tail before he hit the ground. "Stupid rain." He fumed, he reached for his cellphone before realizing that his clothes had disappeared yet again.

For a second time he dried off his tail and waited for his legs to reappear. When they did he reached into his pocket and withdrew his phone with every intention of calling emergency services and telling them everything. He had dialed the numbers and his thumb was hovering over the call button when he forcibly stopped himself and terminated the attempt. He ran a hand through his hair and gave an angry shout, throwing his phone against the wall. The device shattered, glass traveling all over the floor as it landed heavily on the floor. Marcus watched it fall, feeling rather foolish for his overreaction. But he stood by his decision. As much as he hated it, he knew that if he called for help then it wasn't only him who would be suffering for his actions. Loyal to the end, Marcus decided then and there that this secret was one that he would never reveal. Not even to those who shared his predicament.

He walked over to the window and peered outside at the rain which continued to pour down. He glanced at his watch and frowned. "Thirty minutes to get to Rita's house." He muttered. "And it doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon."

With another shout of frustration he whirled around and threw his hands up in the air. When he did, a very interesting thing happened. The blanket that he had used to dry off his tail floated up several feet in the air. Marcus watched it fall back to the floor and then looked down at his hands, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. He raised a hand tentatively and focused on the blanket, willing it to repeat what it had done moments ago. The blanket gave a half-turn on the ground but refused to rise into the air. Glaring now with concentration, Marcus raised both his hands and gritted his teeth as he put every fiber of his being into lifting the blanket. This time, the blanket followed his wishes and rose gently into the air. Panting with effort, Marcus dropped his hands and the blanket.

As he caught his breath, an idea began to grow in his mind and with that idea a smile began to spread across his face. He jogged into his bedroom and began to tear apart his carefully organized closet, searching for the items he required. When he had gathered everything he sought he marched into the bathroom with them in his arms and began to pull on the odd wardrobe.

When he had finished donning his outfit he gazed at himself in the mirror, examining just how ridiculous he looked. He had a long leather duster on with its collar raised to protect his neck, a brown cowboy hat, long pants, and boots. All in all, he wasn't displeased with the look although he knew that he neighbors, and coincidentally everyone that happened to see him, would think that he had just fallen out of an old western movie. "Just need some spurs and a pistol and I would be ready for a showdown at high noon." Marcus muttered to himself as he swept out of the bathroom. He tried to ignore it but he found that he rather liked how the duster looked as it swung behind him. _No, no._ He told himself. _Duster is bad. Stop liking it._

He took a deep breath and threw open the door, concentrating immediately on repelling the rain from his face. Unfortunately, he had forgotten to repel the rain from his hands and even if he hadn't, the rain would not be stopped by such a feeble effort. It ran down his neck completely disregarding the efforts he had made to avoid such a situation. Marcus slammed the door and waited for his tail to appear. Several seconds passed and he began to hope that possibly it was only a two time thing. "Hm." He said, his heart heavy with relief. "Well that's certainly-."

He didn't get any farther as his odd wardrobe disappeared just as his legs morphed into a long blue tail. "Oh damn." He said. "Okay, _maybe_ this won't be as easy as I thought."

For a third time, Marcus dried off his tail and waited for his legs to reappear. He didn't get to his feet however. He laid on the floor with his hands behind his head, simply staring up at the ceiling. At this point most people would have called for help after being thrust into a situation that they had absolutely no idea with which how to handle. Not Marcus. As he stared up at the ceiling he gnawed at his lip, considering just how to approach his new situation. "Alright," He said as he sprung lightly to his feet and shrugged off his trench coat. "It's time to find out just what I can do."


	10. Sorry!

Thankfully, by the next morning the rain had cleared up and a bright blue sky met Marcus when he woke up. However he was anything but bright eyed and bushy tailed. He had spent most of the night browsing the internet, reading up on anything and everything he could find on mermaid lore. Most of what he found he thought was rather unlikely, like the idea that a mermaid's kiss could prevent a person from drowning. The first light of dawn had peeked through his bedroom window when he had finally managed to turn away from his task and get some sleep. He had only just fallen asleep when his alarm clock began to insist that he get up and go to school.

Somehow, he managed to rouse himself and get himself dressed before zombie marching his way to school. To his surprise, he managed to make it past Zach's house without being accompanied. He had just turned the corner on the street that led to school when he felt something sandy get blown into his face. He staggered and rubbed at his eyes, suddenly exhausted. He felt his body succumbing to sleep and soon after his eyes rolled back into his head and he blacked out. He didn't know how much time had passed before he woke up again, but when he did he found himself being dragged by an invisible forces. His hands felt tight, as though someone or something was using them to drag his body. He gave a sudden violent twist and felt the pressure release on his hands. He scanned the area in front of him, his eyes narrowing when he saw no one. He thought back to the lore he had studied the night before and a specific memory stuck out in his mind; mermaids could cloak their presence according to early sailors.

"You might as well show yourself." Marcus said, feeling rather foolish at speaking to apparent air. "I know you are there."

"How?" An all too familiar annoying voice asked.

"Ondina." Marcus recognized. "Why am I not surprised? To answer your question, I spent all last night reading everything I could on mermaids."

"So that's why you look like a zombie." Evie's voice came from the space off to Marcus's right.

"Evie?" Marcus asked, genuinely surprised. He didn't think Evie was the type to do something this extreme. He had suspected that she was a mermaid after he had mentally reviewed their first encounter, but this confirmed it. "You are in on this too?"

"Sorry about this, but when you didn't show up last night we all got worried." She told him. "We thought that you might have broken your promise and told someone."

"It's fine." Marcus waved away the apology. "But, come on, putting some sort of magic spell on me and dragging me away? You two are invisible. How would that have looked if someone looked outside and saw me being dragged along by my arms with no one pulling me. They would set an exorcist on me."

"We didn't think that far ahead." Evie admitted. "We could have cloaked you too, if it came to that."

"You know, after being kidnapped and basically roofied it _does not_ make me feel any better." Marcus told her. "You could have just asked me. I didn't come over last night because I got preoccupied with research."

"Researching mermaids?" Ondina demanded. "Why would you do that?"

"As much as I am enjoying looking like I am arguing with my imaginary friends, why don't we have a little change of scenery?" Marcus suggested brightly. "Where were you planning on dragging me? Your secret lair?"

"Well… Kind of." Evie told him. "It's more of Rita's secret lair."

"Well let's go then." Marcus said. "I'm guessing that we aren't going to school today, are we?"

"You can go later if you want," Evie told him.

"I don't think anyone wants to go to school." Marcus pointed out. He heard the sound of footsteps walking away from me and sighed. "Still invisible. The whole walking away silently away thing loses its luster when I can't see you."

"That's not our problem." Ondina said dismissively.

Marcus's face morphed into a glare as he kicked at a stone in the road. "You are making me really consider investing in a water gun." He told Ondina. "And the more you talk the better it sounds."

"You wouldn't dare." She said dismissively.

"Clearly you don't know me very well. My judgement about decisions like this is brash at best and clouded at worst." Marcus said. "To put it in better terms; Try me."

"You two are getting along very well." Evie said brightly.

"If this is well for her, I really don't want to see what it is when she doesn't get along with someone." Marcus stifled a yawn and gave his head a shake. "I feel bad if you ever have a boyfriend."

He expected a snide response from Ondina, but none were forthcoming. Smiling triumphantly he hummed quietly to himself all the way to Rita's house, reveling in his victory over the pushy mermaid. To his annoyance, neither Evie nor Ondina dropped their invisibility once they were inside. Marcus stepped through the front door and turned around to close it, expecting to see two girls standing in front of him when he turned back around. Unfortunately, it appeared as though they had other plans. "Still invisible." He called. "Not sure where to go from here."

A very fluffy white cat jumped up on the counter in front of Marcus, startling him slightly. He stared at the cat for a long moment, and the feline stared back at him. "Alright cat," He said, scratching its soft white head. "They have fish tails. You should have cat ESP on them. Search!"

The cat either did not care for Marcus's request enough to actually give a decent response, or its loyalties to the fish tail humans trumped the request of the young newcomer. It leapt off the counter and padded out of the kitchen, its tail held aloft and twitching slightly. "The cat's on their side." Marcus observed. "Good to know."

"Oh, hello Poseidon!" Marcus heard Mimi's exclamation from the next room and immediately went to investigate. He immediately wished he hadn't. Poseidon was held in the arms of Mimi, obviously enjoying the attention from the brunette woman. Marcus saw the cat first, but then the rest of the picture became obvious. Mimi was garbed in nothing but a towel, having clearly just stepped out of the bath. Marcus stood, stunned, and for a long moment before Mimi's bloodcurdling scream broke him out of his stupor.

"What are you doing here?" She shrieked, her surprise sending the poor cat several feet into the air. Poseidon yowled in protest as he twisted in the air before landing on all four feet. He shot out of the room, clearly annoyed at his rough treatment.

"I-I, uh, Evie… Ondina… they-." Marcus stuttered for an answer, looking away from the woman through sheer respect.

"Get OUT!" She screamed, opening the bathroom door and stepping through.

A rather odd thought struck Marcus and his mouth was asking the question before it consulted with his brain over the wisdom of said question. "Wait, I thought water made you change. How do you shower?"

"OUT!" Mimi roared again, slamming the door.

Marcus followed her advice, darting out of the room and resuming his place in the kitchen. He tapped his foot rapidly, his face a ghostly white as he awaited any further instruction from anyone. Poseidon returned to the counter Marcus had first met him on and looked at Marcus expectantly. Marcus glared at the evil feline, certain that the cat had set him up. "You little bastard," He muttered, shaking a finger at Poseidon. "I told you to find me a mermaid, but you just had to be an asshole about it didn't you? You do realize that this means war, right cat?"

"Are you arguing with Poseidon?" Zach asked, skidding into the room and taking stock of the situation. "I heard a scream. What happened?"

"The cat started it." Marcus insisted, glaring daggers at the white beast. "I asked it to lead me to you guys because Evie and Ondina just left me here when we got here. It led me to Mimi instead and she, uh, she wasn't decent per se."

"Wait, what?" A look like a thunderstorm passed across Zach's face and for a moment Marcus found himself actually worried. "What did you do?"

"I did nothing." Marcus insisted again, pointing at the cat. "It's the cat's fault. Really."

"What's going on up here?" Rita asked, striding out of the same room that Zach came from and crossing her arms. "Where did that scream come from?"

"Marcus walked in on Mimi." Zach fumed.

Rita's mouth dropped open and she looked at Marcus disbelievingly. "I did _not_!" He raised his hands defensively. "I followed Poseidon because I thought he might know where you guys were because Evie and Ondina left me alone when I got here. Mimi had just gotten out of the shower and she was wearing a towel and she was petting Poseidon and I didn't know and I am really _really_ sorry." Marcus paused for breath after the last statement.

"Yes…. Well," Rita said, clearly still unclear about the situation. "Marcus, follow me. And please, don't get lost. I would prefer no more… mishaps."

"It wasn't me," He muttered under his breath, "That stupid cat set me up."

Rita led both Marcus and Zach to a bookcase and reached forward to pull one book from the shelf. A clicking sound emanated from a mechanism hidden somewhere in the bookshelf and suddenly a large panel swung open revealing a set of stairs. "Whoa." Marcus whistled softly. "A secret entrance. Thought they only had these in movies."

"Come along," Rita said, sweeping confidently down the stairs.

"And no tricks." Hissed Mimi in Marcus's ear, nearly making him jump out of his skin. He took a rapid step forward and nearly pushed Zach down the stairs, catching the dark haired man at the last moment. "Sorry about that." He apologized quickly, righting himself as well. He deliberately did not turn around to face Mimi, not quite ready for that particular confrontation. He had enough to deal with as it was.

The stairway wound its way down several stories into a small grotto of sorts, complete with a small pool Marcus was certain connected to the sea. "Cool," He breathed, looking around at the treasures and other oddities that filled the cavern.

"Well Marcus," Rita said, turning to face him and crossing her arms. The rest of the mermaids and Zach stood behind her, watching the newcomer with wary eyes. He heard the secret entrance close behind them and felt slightly trapped. "You said you have questions."

 **Author's note: Thank you all for your continued support. It means the world over. Truly it does. If there is anything at all you don't like in any of my chapters, please, do tell me. I take both positive and negative criticism in equal amount. Thank you in particular to MermaidOdair and Izi Wilson for their continued reviews. You two are awesome.**


	11. Memory Loss

Deciding that indecision was by far the worst possible option available to him, Marcus decided to jump right into the questions he had mentally prepared. "Why does water transform you?" He blurted out.

"Because we are creatures of the sea." Rita told him. "Humans might rule the land, but mermaids have always been the one that governed the sea."

An awkward silence fell over them as Marcus searched for any questions he could think of. He knew he had to be careful in the wake of discovering that he had somehow become a merman himself. "So all of you are mermaids?" Marcus asked, deciding that this question was possibly the safest. "And you have kept your secret all this time?"

"Well, not all of us." Zach said. "I'm a merman, and Evie is a half-mermaid."

"Half-mermaid?" Marcus repeated. "How is that possible? Was your mom a mermaid or something?"

"No, nothing like that." Evie glanced to Rita as though asking for permission.

Rita shrugged. "He might as well know." She told her.

"I was a human until recently." Evie told Marcus hesitantly. "But I was… changed. By the Moon Pool."

"You mean that pool in the cave?" Marcus asked. "The one that tried to drown me."

"I doubt the Moon Pool tried to drown you." Rita assured him. "The Moon Pool is a place of very strong magic. Old magic. It is a very important place to the pod, a place where they can hide and rest. Mermaids get their power from the Moon Pool."

"But not Mermen?" Marcus asked, noticing the distinction.

"No." Rita said. "Mermen gain their power solely from the moon."

"No wonder you guys didn't want me anywhere near it." Marcus said understandingly. "You don't want me messing it up."

"The Moon Pool is remarkably resilient," Rita told him. "But we had greater concerns than you somehow ruining that place. The Moon Pool is what transformed Evie into a mermaid. It has that power and most likely much more."

"Since I went into the pool does that mean I am going to be a merman now?" Marcus asked, carefully keeping his expression and voice neutral.

"I would have thought so," Rita said, "But according to Ondina you didn't transform when she dumped her drink on you."

"She dumped two drinks on me." Marcus corrected, scowling at the blonde. "But the second one I deserved."

"Marcus, you understand that this secret must be kept at all costs." Rita told him seriously, laying a hand on his arm. "If _anyone_ were to discover our existence we would never know a moment's peace."

"I understand." Marcus insisted, looking around the room. "Listen, I know you don't know me. And I realize I might have gotten off on the wrong foot with a lot of you. But despite that, I swear that I won't tell a soul. If there's anything I can do to prove that, then please, let me."

He had expected them to assure him that they believed him, possibly accompanied by some restriction. But Ondina and Mimi stepped forward as one and stared him down. "There is, now that you mention it." Ondina told him. "There is a spell that will prevent you from revealing our secret to anyone. Actually, it will force you to keep it at all costs."

"Done." Marcus said immediately.

With no further prompting Mimi and Ondina raised their hands, aiming a blue ring at Marcus. The stone glowed brightly and Marcus frowned as everything he knew about mermaids began to surface in his mind, including his memories of the previous night. With a sudden flash, the memories disappeared from his thoughts and Marcus shook off the effects of the spell. "Well," He said after he collected himself mentally, "That was certainly more pleasant than being knocked out earlier."

Ondina and Mimi looked at each other uncertainly before looking to Rita in search of some explanation. "You said it would work." Mimi said accusingly. "You said he would lose all memory of mermaids."

"Whoa, hold on, what?" Marcus said. " _That's_ what you were trying to do?"

"It should have worked." Rita said helplessly. "But he _has_ been in the Moon Pool before. It's possible that the magic in the water did in fact have some sort of effect on him."

"You tried to erase my memory?" Marcus demanded loudly, glaring at them. "Really?"

"Marcus, you have to understand that the fewer people that know about us the better." Zach explained quickly.

Not accepting such an explanation, Marcus turned on his heel and stormed up the stairway without another word. The white cat was sitting on the same spot in the bar and as Marcus passed her flicked his wrist, flinging the cat onto the floor. Poseidon yowled angrily as he was unseated by an unknown force. Marcus slammed the door behind him as hard as he could. He made it as far as the gate before leaning against the metal and glaring back at the house. As he expected, a few seconds later Zach and Evie came hurrying out of the house. The quickly stopped when they saw Marcus clearly waiting for them at the gate. "I knew you would come after me." He told them, clearly still furious. "So I thought I would save you some running. Now say whatever it is you have to say and I'll be going."

"Marcus, I swear I did not know that they were going to try to wipe your memory." Zach said pleadingly.

"And I'm supposed to believe that?" Marcus sneered, shaking his head. "Nuh-uh. I don't think so."

"It's true!" Evie insisted. "Rita said that they had a way to make sure that you would not be able to tell anyone, just in case."

"Oh, they had a way alright." Marcus barked out a laugh. "But it so happens that the way they had in mind involved them ripping out my memories."

"We didn't know, you have to believe us!" Zach insisted. "Come on man, give us another chance. Don't walk away like this."

But Marcus had decided he had had enough of them already. "I'll keep your secret." He told them. "And I will be civil to you in school, but that's it. Stay away from me and we won't have a problem."

They plead with him as he walked away, but he ignored what they had to say. He didn't look back to ensure that they weren't following him. In truth, their betrayal had terrified Marcus. The thought of having his memories taken didn't really scare him, but what did was the fact that they were so casual in their deception. He had gone into that house with every intention of showing them that he now shared their secret, but now he realized that they would never fully trust him. He kicked viciously at a tuft of grass that had grown up in between the concrete.

He walked through his front door and slammed his door with a thought, not caring if someone saw the odd phenomenon. He threw his bag aside, not caring where it landed. He took a deep breath, not sure where to go. Coming to a decision, he ran into his room and quickly changed into his climbing gear. He grabbed his climbing backpack and swept out of his house, his face set into a determined line as he jogged to the harbor. Evie's father was there to his relief, chatting with a young man with bronze hair and a tan complexion. "Ah, Marcus!" He said when he saw the young man approaching. "No school today?"

"Not today Arthur." He said, forcing a smile. "Decided that I needed some time to myself."

"Well, she's your if you want to take her out." He laughed, reaching into his pocket and tossing him the keys. Marcus caught them easily in one hand and nodded his thanks. Arthur nodded to the young man he had been talking to and said, "This is Erik. He's a friend of my daughter's."

Marcus immediately grew suspicious of him, fixing him with a suspicious stare that was at odds with the friendly smile he wore. "Pleasure to meet you." He said, offering his hand.

"Same to you." Erik said, shaking Marcus's hand. "Where you heading?"

"Mako." Marcus said, daring him to argue. "Why?"

"No reason." Erik said cheerfully. "Mind if I walk with you to the boat?"

"Not at all." Marcus said coolly. "Nice to see you Arthur. I'll have her back before you know it."

Arthur bade them farewell and the two young men began their walk down the pier, Erik smiling slightly. "Let me guess," Marcus said as he stepped into the boat, "You are going to try to stop me from going to Mako?"

"Hell no." Erik laughed, diving into the water at the end of the pier. He resurfaced a few moments later, a blue tail having replaced his legs. "I'll race you there."

"You're one of them." Marcus breathed, not entirely surprised as he had expected such. "And you don't want to stop me?"

"Meet me on the beach." Erik told him. "Try not to take too long." And with that he dove below the water and shot off into open water, moving faster than Marcus would have believed possible.


	12. Friends'

When Marcus pulled the boat onto the beach Erik was there, lounging casually on the sand. He raised a hand in greeting as Marcus stepped off the boat and landed lightly on the sand. "Took you long enough." Erik admonished as he dropped his hand and leaned back on the beach.

"Yeah, well, no tail." Marcus lied dismissively. He stood over Erik and stared down at the merman, his arms crossed tightly. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Who says I want to talk about anything?" Erik asked. "Maybe I just wanted some company."

"Ask someone else then." Marcus said, walking away without a second thought. "I don't have time I can afford to waste."

"Let me guess, they don't like that you know about their little secret?" Erik asked.

Marcus stopped short and slowly turned around to face Erik who had gotten to his feet and was now brushing off his clothes. When he straightened his back he smiled confidently at Marcus and shrugged. "I know how they are." He explained. "They're fickle. They think that they always know best."

"Something tells me that you aren't on the best terms." Marcus observed. "What happened?"

"That's a long story," Erik said.

"I have time." Marcus told him. "And if you really want to speak to me, you better start talking."

And so Erik launched into his tale. Marcus stood there, listening intently as Erik recounted his story. He interjected only occasionally to ask about a point in the story that he did not understand, or wanted elaborated upon. When Erik finally finished his story, Marcus thought for a long moment before saying, "So, this merman chamber, you thought that it could help them despite what the wisest mermaids told you?"

"No one understands that chamber." Erik insisted. "We still don't. But they are so afraid of it that they won't listen to reason."

"You almost killed Zach. Your foolhardiness nearly cost the mermaids their magic and their lives, not to mention their home." Marcus snapped, treating Erik with his most scornful gaze. "You were so wrapped up in that damn chamber that you didn't bother listening to reason. You just wanted to know what that chamber could do."

"I only meant to help the mermaids!" Erik snarled, taking a step towards Marcus. "I didn't want anyone to get hurt."

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Marcus said with a cold smile. "And I think that you might be in hell right now. That little plan of yours with the chamber seems like it was an express shot."

"You weren't there!" Erik roared. "Don't you dare act like you know what happened."

"Exactly." Marcus responded, though he was purposely keeping himself infuriatingly calm. "I only have _your_ story to base my judgement off of. That means that either you are the worst story teller ever, or you really thought that something so stupid could pay off."

"So they already have their hooks in you." Erik said, backing off now. "I bet you think that the merman chamber is dangerous too."

"No one has their hooks in me." Marcus said. "And I don't really have enough information to make any judgement on that chamber. Maybe it _could_ be helpful, in the right hands that is, but it seems to me that it might be too much of a risk to find that out. Everyone but you seems pretty happy with the status quo, everyone but you that is. Maybe it's because you lost Ondina that you are just now realizing how shitty is being alone."

The blood drained from Erik's face giving the tan man a rather ghostly appearance. A vein worked in his cheek as his mounting fury began to cause his face to redden again. "You-you have _no_ idea what it's like…"

"You're right." Marcus shrugged. "I don't. Don't really care to know either. That's your personal situation. But if you want my advice, stop trying to find good in what you did. Admit you did wrong and beg Ondina to take you back. She misses you too, but you better play your cards right. Generally speaking, nearly ruining a girl's life is enough to make her not want to speak to you forever. But! It's your call. I'm going hiking, have a nice day."

And so saying, Marcus walked off into the woods and left Erik to sort out the myriad of emotions that were no doubt rolling through his mind after Marcus's advice. Marcus walked through the woods whistling a cheerful tune, not at all concerned with the conversation he had just had with Erik. In fact, he was in a rather good mood. "So there's another chamber, eh?" He said to himself as he walked. "Good to know."

But his good mood was marred by something that Erik had told him. "The merman chamber calls to us, or at least it did for a while. Zach was the worst affected because he was still new to the whole merman thing." Erik had said.

Marcus scratched the back of his head absentmindedly as he gazed up at the cliff that led to the Moon Pool cavern. Shrugging, he began the climb up the cliffs without another moment's hesitation. He found that the climb came easier this time than it had the previous two times. In fact, when he pulled himself over the edge his limbs barely felt fatigued at all. He walked over to the lip of the cave and gazed down at the Moon Pool, only slightly surprised to see several people staring back up at him. "You, uh, you must really like climbing those cliffs!" Zach called up with false cheeriness. "I don't suppose you want to come down."

Marcus didn't bother answering. He glanced up from the cave and saw the rope he had used to climb up last time still seemed to be anchored to his climbing axe. "I really go through a lot of climbing rope." He muttered as he tossed down the rope into the cave. He grabbed onto the line and began to lower himself down into the cave, not at all slowly. There was a tense moment when he almost brushed the water when he got to the bottom, but Mimi pushed him telepathically to the side and out of the way of the water. "Thanks." Marcus said. "What do you want?"

"Look, I'm sorry." Mimi told him. "I am really _really_ sorry." Her sincerity actually gave Marcus, who had decided that he did not want to forgive them, a moment's pause.

"Yeah, well you should be." He said sourly. "Like I told you, I have no reason to tell anyone your secret. I don't even have anyone to tell. In case you hadn't noticed, the other kids at school try to avoid you three." He directed the last at Zach and Evie.

"Do they?" Zach asked, genuinely surprised. "I hadn't noticed."

"I sort of did," Evie admitted. "I stopped getting invited to hang out with some of my older friends."

"Moving on," Marcus said, doggedly sticking to his point. "Since everyone has seen me hanging out with you, no one really talks to me. So, like it or not, I think I might be stuck with you guys for as long as I'm here."

"You could always do worse for friends." Zach said brightly.

"You tried to erase my memories." Marcus reminded him. "Let's not say we're friends just yet. Let's say acquaintances on… relatively good terms. But, if you try anything funny…"

"Don't worry," Mimi told him reassuringly. "Rita thinks that the Moon Pool might have made you resistant to spells."

Marcus stared at her and sighed. "You know, saying things like that make me think that you have thought about how _else_ you can try to put a spell on me."


	13. Rules

"You're late." David informed Marcus when he walked through the door.

Marcus checked his watch, frowning. "School isn't even out yet." He disagreed. "I'm early."

"You didn't even _go_ to school today." David reminded him. "Which, by the way, as your employer I can't condone."

"Wait a minute." Marcus said slowly. "Why aren't _you_ in school?"

David's ears reddened slightly and he shrugged. "I didn't feel like going." He said dismissively.

"Then don't give me any shit for not going either." Marcus told him, happy to let it go at that. "I had… business to attend to. Kind of."

"Well, try not to let it happen again." David told him, just as happy to let the matter drop at that. "And would you mind changing your shirt? The one you're wearing has dirt all over it."

"Oh, yeah. No problem." Marcus said having temporarily forgotten that he had just gone rock climbing. "Where are they?"

"Back room." David jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "They're in a big blue crate. Can't miss it."

"Alright, be back in a flash." Marcus ducked into the back room and immediately stopped, frowning at what he saw. Stacked up around him were no less than a dozen blue crates, all of them identical. He glanced back towards the main area and shook his head at David though he knew the man couldn't see him. "What are the odds that all of these crates have shirts in them?"

Most of the crates held merchandise, mostly bracelets and other small knick-knacks, but he discovered that others actually had drink mixes in them. He was especially wary of them just in case it turned out that they were water based. He still hadn't worked out just what it was that would make him transform. He knew that water was a given, but he wasn't certain on anything else. The juice that Ondina poured on him by all accounts should have transformed him, but it didn't. Nonetheless he knew that he had to be on his guard at the café. One false move and he could accidentally reveal just what he had assured the others he would protect for them. He gave a soft sound of triumph when he opened the second to last crate and found a pile of shirts identical to the one that David had been wearing. Quickly searching out his size, Marcus pulled off the shirt he was wearing and folded it before setting it on top of one of the crates. He walked out of the back room just as he pulled on the shirt and realized instantly why David had not attended school that day. Clearly oblivious to the unexpected intrusion, David and Serena sat at a table staring dreamily into one another's eyes.

Marcus chuckled softly to himself as he went behind the counter and searched for a pair of disposable gloves. To his delight, he found such a pair and pulled them on. He wiped down the counter with a clean rag and hot water, keeping an eye on the lovebirds. When it became clear that they were too lost in their own little world to notice anyone other than each other, Marcus called over and said, "You know, according to legend a mermaid's kiss can prevent a man from drowning."

That snapped them out of their reverie. David's head snapped around, his face crimson. Marcus suspected that Serena was also crimson, but the woman had vanished the second Marcus spoke. "So that's why you didn't want to go to school today." Marcus said slyly, leaning on the counter with one arm. "Can't blame you."

David's mouth opened and closed several times like a fish out of water but no sound came forth.

Marcus raised an eyebrow, a slow grin spreading across his face. He liked David, he seemed to be a very friendly person. He wasn't entirely sure of Serena, but out of all the mermaids she struck him as the least likely to do something drastic. Marcus finished wiping off the counter with a flourish and tossed the rag into the sink. "I'm going to go get some fresh air." He told his boss. "Serena, you can stop being invisible by the way. I know you are there."

She either was too mortified by his intrusion to listen to him or had actually already left the café. Regardless, Marcus strolled out of the café and began to walk down the boardwalk. He made his way to the end of the pier and leaned on the wooden barrier. He smiled out at the open ocean, enjoying the sea breeze on his face. For a moment, he had a crazy idea to simply leap over the barrier and give his tail a test run. He had no idea what it would be like to swim through the sea as a merman, and indeed the idea appealed greatly to him. Even as a human he had loved the sea, often spending his breaks from school alone on his family's private island in the Caribbean. But the urge passed and Marcus gave a sad little sigh, wishing that he could actually go through with such an action. He wished dearly that he could, and in time he knew the temptation would prove too strong to resist, but for now he decided that swimming where the others could see him would be a costly mistake. _Unless…_ He thought to himself. Marcus stuck his hands in his pockets and strolled away from the end of the pier, making his way behind the café and out of sight from anyone. He glanced around quickly before taking a deep breath and concentrating. Serena had made it look so easy, maybe it wasn't a very hard thing to do…

He focused on his hand first, urging it to disappear. It was just as easy as Serena made it look, much to Marcus's delight. His hand disappeared immediately and it took very little effort for Marcus to extend the effect to his entire body. He glanced down, looking for any lingering parts of him that had not been cloaked by his invisibility. But as far as he could tell there were so such outliers. _And now to test it._ Marcus thought to himself. He crept around the front of the café and walked up to the motion detectors. He frowned when he realized that they were rendered useless by his invisibility. He glanced around again before letting a single phase back into the visible spectrum. The motion detected sliding doors registered the digit and swung open smoothly. Marcus hid his finger again and stepped through just as the doors slid closed behind him. David and Serena had continued their gazing into each other's eyes and Marcus shook his head at them. He leaned against the counter, and gazed down at his invisible hands. Since he was figuring these things out alone, he wasn't entirely sure what the cost would be to using magic. He felt relatively good for the moment, but he had a sneaking suspicion that magic was not an infinite resource. He crept into the backroom, closing the door behind him very quietly. He sat down on a crate and sat there, hidden from the eyes of the world. He had been there for no more than fifteen minutes when he was very certain that magic did indeed have a cost. He was breathing hard as his hold on the spell wavered.

With a gasp, he became visible again unable to hold the spell any longer. He wasn't physically fatigued, not in the slightest, but he felt empty somehow. It was almost as though the spell had used some form of energy that Marcus didn't rely on very often. _Magic._ Marcus knew as he stood up. _So there are rules to using it._


	14. Test Subject

When Zach, Evie, Cam, Ondina, and Mimi walked through the door to the café Marcus had come to a conclusion. He had gone about the bar, going back and forth between being invisible and visible at random intervals just to see if he could broker a reaction from the happy couple to no avail. He had once gone as far as to reappear right behind Serena, hoping to startle David from his love-struck gaze. He had given up after that, sitting down behind the bar and playing with the new phone he had bought. It had taken him some time to find his credit card, but when he had dug it up he had used it to buy the phone he was now holding. When they came through the doors he glanced to Serena and David, thinking that surely the appearance of their friends would garner a reaction. Nothing. Not unless a small happy sigh from David counted as a reaction.

"It's not natural." Marcus said, almost convinced that the two of them were under some sort of spell.

"What's up?" Zach asked as he sat down at the bar. He saw where Marcus was staring and laughed. "Oh yeah, those two. Don't worry it's completely normal for them to make googly eyes at each other for a couple hours at a time."

"Is there something wrong with them?" Marcus asked.

"Well, they're in love." Evie said as though that explained everything. "They're still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship."

"It's not natural." Marcus repeated.

Zach and Evie both ordered juiced and Marcus quickly set to mixing their drinks. He pulled out the recipe menu from under the counter and consulted it several times as he went about concocting the mixture. Ondina chimed in as he was making their drinks, ordering one for herself and Mimi as well.

"I don't think so." Marcus said, not bothering to turn around and face her.

"What did you say?" Ondina asked, clearly affronted.

Marcus looked at the recipe book again as he finished off the drink, ensuring that he had followed every step. Nodding confidently, he slid the juices across the bar to the patrons and waited expectantly. Zach and Evie sipped cautiously at their drinks once before nodding and taking a deeper draft of their juice. "Hey!" Ondina fumed, clearly upset at Marcus's refusal to serve her. "I'm talking to you!"

"Yes and I am so _very_ eager to hear what it is you have to say." Marcus drawled, clearly enunciating every word. "Please, enthrall me with your thoughts on how I am the scum of the earth, a horrible person, and possibly the worst individual on the planet."

"Why are you _such_ a jerk?" Ondina demanded.

"Years of practice." Marcus said sagely.

"Just make me a coconut-pineapple juice!" Ondina ordered him.

"Please refer back to my 'I don't think so' comment." Marcus advised her. "The last time you got near a juice you poured it on my head. I like this shirt and I don't want you to ruin it."

Zach and Evie were clearly enjoying this exchange, grinning into their glasses and glancing back and forth at one another. Mimi didn't seem to be overly upset with the conversation either, smiling softly at her blonde friend. Ondina and Marcus continued to glare at one another across the bar, neither willing to budge an inch. Thankfully, Zach stepped in as a mediator before the situation escalated any further. "Okay, Marcus, if Ondina apologizes and swears not to pour her juice on your head will you make her a drink?"

"Hm." Marcus mused, considering the offer. "Sure. I can't see a problem with that."

"Ondina?" Evie prompted.

"Fine." She sighed, unhappy with having to apologize to Marcus. "Marcus?"

"Yes Ondina?" He responded brightly. "How may I help you today, valued customer?"

Evie snorted into her drink in a much undignified fashion, whilst Zach laughed outright. Ondina shot them both a malevolent glare before returning the glare to Marcus. "I am sorry for pouring the drinks on your head." She told him haltingly, as if the words burned her tongue. "And I promise not to do it again."

"Apology accepted." Marcus said happily, thoroughly enjoying messing with the blonde mermaid. It seemed to make the day a little brighter in his opinion.

"Could I have a banana-raspberry juice please?" Mimi asked as she sat down next to Zach.

"Sure." Marcus shrugged, setting to making both her drink and Ondina's. When he finally finished making them, he slid them over to their respective requestors and took an immediate step back from Ondina.

The blonde mermaid smiled at him wickedly, but she simply sipped at her drink and shrugged. "It's not bad." She said airily. "But it's not great either."

"I made it with love." Marcus told her. "So it's probably burning you out from the inside."

"You two really like each other don't you?" Evie laughed. "Honestly, if this is how it is going to be every time you two are near each other I'm going to invite Marcus over for magic lessons with Rita."

Marcus's ears pricked up at that and he had to work hard to restrain the wistful look from spreading across his face. "Magic lessons?" He repeated curiously. "What's that about?"

"We go to Rita's almost every day after school so that she can teach us about magic and the sea." Evie told him. "It's more for Zach and me though, Ondina and Mimi are way ahead of us."

"You guys are doing well." Mimi said encouragingly, smiling at her. "You'll catch up to us soon enough."

"I doubt it." Evie said, but she smiled slightly at the encouragement. She looked back to Marcus and raised an eyebrow. "So are you coming?"

"Wait, what happened?" Marcus had turned away from them and had begun to wash dishes, but he was listening intently. "Yes. No. What answer works best here?"

"So it's settled!" Evie declared, jumping from her stool and striding over to David.

"Evie, wait!" Ondina said, swiveling in her chair. "Why should we invite _him_?"

"I have a name." Marcus reminded her, setting a glass of water on the counter in front of him loudly enough for Ondina to hear. She glanced back at him and Marcus looked down pointedly at the glass before turning his gaze on Ondina. "And a glass of water. You can choose which to use."

"I'm with Evie on this one." Mimi admitted. "He's interesting… for a land boy."

"So it's settled then!" Zach declared. "Marcus, come on, let's go to Rita's."

"I'm at work…." Marcus said slowly as he gazed out over the empty café. Neither David nor Serena had moved from the spot that Marcus had discovered them in. He rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Okay, you know what? I'm going to close early. I don't think that David will mind. Actually I'm not entirely certain that he's even still alive."

"Oh, he's alive." Zach assured him, following Evie out of the bar. Marcus only hesitated a moment before pulling off his shirt and tossing it onto one of the crates in the back room. He emerged from the room just as he pulled his rock-climbing shirt back on. He nearly bumped into Ondina who had apparently been going into the back room

"Whoa, whoa," Marcus said, stepping around the blonde and walking after Zach and Evie. They were waiting right outside of the door, their fingers intertwined. Marcus rolled his eyes and the group set off with Mimi and Ondina bringing up the rear. Marcus felt rather like a prisoner for a moment with Zach and Evie in front of him and Mimi and Ondina behind him. He moved forward and began to walk beside Evie, just in case a quick escape proved necessary. "So magic lessons eh? What's the real reason that you wanted me to come along?"

"I don't know what you mean." Evie told him, though her cheeks turned rather pink. "I just thought it would be a good idea for you-."

"Little fun fact about me; I can tell when someone is lying almost all the time." Marcus told her under his breath. "Now if you don't mind, the truth."

"Okay, the truth is I think it's good for you to be around Ondina right now." Evie whispered quickly, glancing over her shoulder to see how far Ondina was behind them.

That well and truly stumped Marcus. He didn't see how his constantly antagonizing Ondina would benefit the blonde mermaid in any way. "Well, I think she might disagree." Marcus said eventually.

"Listen, I know you might not like her." Evie whispered. "But she just… she just went through a really bad break-up."

"With Erik." Marcus nodded. "Yeah. I know."

"How did you know?" Evie said, stunned.

"I met him." Marcus told her. "He told me what happened with the chamber and the trident stone. I told him that he was an idiot."

"We'll talk more on that later." Evie promised and Zach nodded his agreement. "But you are right. She hasn't been the same since she broke up with Erik. She's been sort of withdrawn. She hadn't been speaking much, that is, until she met you. For some reason she acts like the old Ondina whenever you are around."

"Well… That's the first time that my sarcasm has been appreciated." Marcus said, considering Evie's explanation. "Which I'm not entirely sure I like. I generally annoy people because it pisses them off. Are you sure that you want me to keep doing that?"

"Absolutely." Evie gave Marcus a very sly look and shrugged one shoulder carelessly. "I would be careful if I were you though, you might bite off more than you can chew with her."

That did it. If nothing else, a challenge was something that Marcus could absolutely not turn down no matter what the circumstances. "Well, that does it." Marcus told her, cracking his knuckles in anticipation. "If you want Ondina distracted, that's fine. You can count on me."


	15. Lesson Learned

"So magic lessons?" Marcus asked. He was sitting on the stone bench that sat before a large stone table. On the table sat a large amount of glasses, all filled with water. Rita stood behind the table, her hands clasped in front of her as she waited for her students to take their seats.

Rita smiled at him, not at all upset at his presence. Evie had taken her aside when Marcus appeared with them, quietly informing her of what his true purpose there was. Evidently Rita completely agreed with the idea as she welcomed Marcus warmly into the lesson. "Marcus, Ondina, would you mind assisting me with this first lesson?" Rita asked, gesturing to the two young people.

Marcus shot to his feet, all too eager to be of help. The fact that he already had a chance to antagonize Ondina seemed to be the icing on the cake. Ondina seemed wary of him as they took their sides on either side of Rita. Marcus glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and grinned mischievously, though he had no idea just what the lesson would be. He was confident he could find a way to twist it to suit Evie's request of him. "The other day, Marcus inadvertently exposed a flaw in your teaching." Rita began, folding her hands together. "He stumbled onto our secret because you were ill prepared. Today's lesson is water manipulation. Marcus, would you mind grabbing a glass of water?"

Marcus picked one off the table and looked back to Rita for further instruction. She stepped back several feet and continued speaking. "Now Marcus, I want you to throw the water in that cup at Ondina-." Marcus needed no further provocation. He tossed the water at the blonde mermaid, Ondina shouting in surprise. She stood there for several seconds, her mouth open as she looked at Marcus in disbelief. "When I say 'go'…." Rita finished, her voice trailing off as Ondina fell to the floor with a tail.

"Woops. Sorry." Marcus told Ondina, not sounding sorry at all. He thought for a moment and then rescinded his statement. "On second thought I'm not sorry. That was funny."

Ondina extended a hand towards her tail while she glared at Marcus. The others, who were stunned at the suddenness of Marcus's action, now were only partially concealing their laughter. Rita was smiling, but she still gave an exasperated sigh and shook her head at Marcus. He grinned back at her and shrugged. "I'm just _so_ eager to help," He explained. "I just couldn't help myself."

"I am glad for the enthusiasm," Rita admonished, not fooled for even a moment by Marcus's reasoning. "Please, let me finish speaking or this lesson might take all night."

"I have time." Marcus mused, chewing at his lip. "But I guess the others might enjoy going home to their families."

Ondina's legs returned and she sprang to her feet, raising her hand and pointing her ring at Marcus. "Uh oh." He said, grabbing another glass of water and holding it ready to be thrown. Ondina grinned at him and Marcus was suddenly aware that the glass seemed lighter than it had a few second ago. He glanced at the cup and his face paled when he saw the water floating in the air. "Now Ondina, I know that we have had our differences." Marcus kept talking as he inched away from the water, backing slowly into the table. Discreetly, he reached down and grabbed another glass of water. He kept his hands behind his back, not letting the blonde see his machinations.

"Ondina…" Rita said warningly, crossing her arms and staring down her disobedient student. "Put the water back in the pool and let us begin the lesson."

"He started it!" Ondina said, sounding very much like a petulant child.

"Yes and I am very sorry." Marcus said, but the insolent grin he wore on his face like a trophy told another tale. "Sort of."

He had inched his way away from the water that still hung suspended in the air and made his way to being within only a couple feet of Ondina. He was fairly certain that the other students at the table saw his plan, they would have to be blind not to. He wasn't certain that Rita was aware, but he had the sneaking suspicion that she knew. "Fine." Ondina said glumly, tossing the water back into the cavern's seawater pool with an annoyed flick of her wrist.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Marcus brought the glass of water from behind his back and raised the glass as though in toast. "Cheers to getting along." He said, smiling wickedly. Ondina glared at him but she said nothing, not unless tossing her hair over her shoulder with a flip of her head could be construed as an answer. It possibly could. Marcus was not the best at interpreting body language.

"Now, Marcus, when I say ' _go'_ I want you to throw the water in the glass at Ondina." Rita told him. "Now back up a few steps."

"Sure thing." Marcus said. As much as he enjoyed messing with Ondina his true motive for showing up at the magic lesson was to learn. Going by legend alone was not an effective tutor. Learning, albeit underhandedly, from a wiser mermaid would be the most effective way for him to gain a handle on his new powers.

"Now then," Rita said, folding her hands again. "Let's begin."

Much later, the lesson concluded. Rita praised the progress that the mermaids and Zach had made in so little time. There had been failures, more than once had a tail been grown in the course of the lesson, but there had also been far more successes. Marcus watched each time that the mermaids or Zach used their power, memorizing everything they had done. He found it odd that only the mermaids had the odd blue rings whereas Zach was forced to use only his power. As near as he could tell the Moon Rings as they called them were conduits for the mermaids to channel their power through. He had examined the stones as close as he dared, but for the life of him he could not recognize the type of gemstone that they were made from. Sapphires came close, but the Moon Ring's stone seemed to possess a depth that was as deep and blue as the sea itself.

"Well, that's good for tonight." Rita told them. "Same time tomorrow. Have a good night."

The students bade the teacher farewell and began to filter out their separate ways. The mermaids, Evie excluded, dove into the pool of water and swam out, presumably returning to their home on Mako. "Marcus, a word please?" Rita asked as Marcus began to ascend the steps of the grotto.

Zach and Evie glanced back, a question in their eyes. Rita smiled at them encouragingly and shooed them away, waiting until the door to the house closed shut behind them. "Marcus, would you mind grabbing that green stone container from the wall there?" Rita asked politely, busying herself with tidying up after the lesson.

"Yeah, sure." Marcus said, puzzled. He glanced for the wall and saw the aforementioned container sitting on the shelf. He grabbed it from its pedestal, whistling slightly at the little box's weight. He turned back to Rita just in time for a glass full of water to splash him in the face. He staggered back, sputtering and cursing, placing the green box on the shelf. Then it hit him what Rita had just done. He looked around desperately for a towel or anything of the like to wipe off his face, but it was to no avail. Rita, who had been standing in front of him watching intently, stepped back when Marcus pitched forward as his legs were replaced by his tail.

Rita nodded several times before sighing and giving her head a shake. "I thought as much." She told him.

"How did you know?" He demanded hoarsely, unable to see where he had messed up.

"I've been around this sea for much longer than you, Marcus." Rita told him. She must have seen the horrified fear that was blatant on his face as she quickly added, "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell the others. This is for much longer than you, Marcus." Rita told him. She must have seen the horrified fear that was blatant on his face as she quickly added, "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell the others. This is _your_ secret. But I had to be sure."

"So you guessed." Marcus sighed, burying his face in his hands. "Great. All that work for nothing."

"Not for nothing." Rita corrected, handing him a towel, which he accepted gratefully. "The others don't suspect anything, not even Ondina."

"Small mercy." Marcus muttered, getting to his feet and brushing off the front of his pants.

"And it wasn't quite a guess." Rita told him, suddenly serious. "I thought it was odd how adverse you were to Ondina throwing water on you. That aroused my suspicions."

"You can't tell anyone." Marcus told her, suddenly desperate. "Please. I'll pay you….." He looked around the cave, finally noticing all the riches that were strewn casually about the cave. He quickly surmised that if Rita sold everything in the cave she would skyrocket to one of the wealthiest people in Australia, certainly within the top ten.

"I don't need money, Marcus." Rita told him. "But what I do need is to make sure that all the young mermaids and mermen under my charge are able to keep our secret. I won't tell the others so long as you keep coming to the lessons."

Marcus sighed and put a hand behind his head. "I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?"


	16. Insight

With the knowledge that someone had discovered his secret, Marcus was too restless to sleep. He leaned on the wooden gate in his backyard, gazing out over the small river that emptied into the ocean. It ran right by his yard and he had often enjoyed the view by day. At night however, he realized how truly beautiful it really was. The moonlight danced across the surface of the water, throwing odd glimmers of light all across the waves. He chewed at his lip as he considered his interaction with Rita. Her demand that he continue to join the meetings was a reasonable one, and what's more it wouldn't be that hard to sell to the others. He believed her when she told him that she wouldn't tell the others, but he was still wary of her. Marcus wasn't entirely sure _why_ she would have agreed to keep his secret. If their roles had been reversed he would have certainly told the others, most likely that very night. _Things were going so well too._ Marcus thought despondently, growling angrily into the air as he pushed against the railing and used the momentum to spin around, walking back to his house. _Ah well. Not much I can do about it now. No sense in stressing myself out._

Before he went inside he glanced up at the moon and smiled. It was truly captivating. In fact, Marcus realized, it was more than that. It seemed to call to him, or at least the merman half of him. He closed his eyes and let its power wash over him, washing away the emptiness he had felt after using so much magic in a single day. When he opened his eyes he was shocked to see that somehow he had wandered back to the river. He stood at its edge, overlooking the water. His bare feet were only inches from the wet sand and Marcus felt a strange compulsion to throw caution to the wind and leap into the water. The temptation wrestled with his logical mind for a long, tense moment before his caution won out and Marcus was able to take a step back. But the temptation didn't go far. He felt it at the back of his mind, constantly gnawing at his thoughts. It was hard to ignore, especially since Marcus wanted nothing more than to swim through the seas as a merman. He had seen how easily Erik and the girls had moved through the water and wanted desperately to try it out for himself. But at the interest of keeping his secret just that, a secret, he knew he had to resist. At least for the time being. In less than three weeks school was being let out for twelve days. Marcus had already booked tickets to his family's private island in the Caribbean and he had every intention of spending every waking minute with a tail. The island was so remote that food had to be brought by boat from the nearest town. Marcus knew from experience that no one would be there to intrude on his personal time. His parents hadn't visited the island in years, in fact Marcus suspected that the island had slipped past through their notice. They had so many land deeds that a single island would not be much of a concern to them, which was exactly why Marcus had secretly managed to place the island under his own name. He wasn't particularly concerned even if his parents noticed his theft. He hadn't seen them in well over two years, and their only communication had been via an occasional email or phone call. They were inseparable from one another, but Marcus had grown tired of the constant traveling and business meeting life they led. They had dropped him off at the boarding school in an effort to placate him, but he found that the school was not at all to his liking. He had purposely got himself thrown out of the school, forcing his parents to give into his wishes and letting him choose his own school. They had bought him the house and given him his credit card and said no more on the issue. They had also arranged for a supply of groceries to be delivered every week to the house, which Marcus had been pleasantly surprised by. All in all, Marcus found the situation to his liking.

The walk back to the house was riddled with temptation as he continually cast longing glances over his shoulder at the water. He walked inside and took his frustration out on an apple that he had set on the counter earlier in the day and forgotten to eat. He glared at the green fruit and gave a lazy flick of his wrist. He expected the fruit to roll over a few times, but instead it shot off the counter and shattered against the wall. Thoroughly surprised by this, Marcus gazed down at his hand. He went into the refrigerator and pulled out several more apples, placing them side by side on the counter. He backed up several steps and raised his hand again, folding all but two fingers against his palm. He pointed the two fingers at the first fruit and flicked them hard to the side. The fruit met the fate the first apple had, shattering against the opposite wall. Marcus grinned, thoroughly enjoying the free use of his powers. The next apple he floated several feet into the air before raising his other hand. He imagined grabbing onto the apple with his other hand and tried to pull the fruit apart. The fruit shook in the air, but it remained whole despite Marcus's best efforts. He let the fruit fall to the floor and lowered his hands. He surveyed the mess he had made before shrugging and walking past the counter, snagging the last apple as he passed. He bit into the juicy fruit as he walked, careful not to get any of the liquid inside on his skin. He jumped into his bed, throwing the apple core skillfully into the waste basket in the corner of his room. He put his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling for a long while. He thought of how much his life had changed in the space of just a few days and how dull it had been before. Money did not buy happiness, particularly when the people who you were supposed to be closest to could not have been more distant. Meeting the Mako group had already given Marcus more happiness than he had experienced in a long time. That was in part why he was so angry when they had tried to steal away his memories. He had few enough happy ones, and he was damn sure going to keep ahold of the ones that he had managed to accumulate.

Sleep snuck onto him before he knew it and his alarm was buzzing him awake before he was even aware that he had drifted off. He readied himself for school and headed out the door, already grateful that it was Friday. Zach was waiting for him on his porch, lounging casually on one of the many ornate metal chairs that lined the hardwood. "Morning." He said cheerfully, waving at Marcus as he lurched to his feet.

"It is." Marcus agreed. "Didn't feel like stalking me out of your window today?"

"I don't stalk you…." Zach frowned, matching Marcus's pace. He saw Marcus's grin and shook his head exasperatedly. "Not funny."

"Very funny." Marcus disagreed, yawning hugely into his hand. "Besides, your girlfriend kidnapped me yesterday. I am entitled to say whatever I want about you two for the next twenty-four hours."

"Wait, is that a rule somewhere?" Zach laughed, thinking that Marcus was joking.

"No." Marcus shrugged. "But I am going to anyways so I'm just giving you fair warning."

"Don't you just say whatever comes to mind anyways?" Zach pointed out.

Marcus inclined his head, accepting the argument. "Valid point." He agreed. "So you shouldn't be too upset then."

"Zach! Marcus!" Evie called, jogging to them when they rounded the corner. "Good morning." She said breathlessly, stepping in close and pecking Zach on the lips.

"Good morning to you too." Zach grinned, claiming her hand in his own.

Marcus rolled his eyes and looked away from the couple, granting them a few private moments. When he deemed that he had given them quite enough time he looked back to them and nodded to Evie. "Morning." He told her. He paused and his lips twitched as he fought off a smile. "What, no kiss for me?"

Zach reddened and Evie laughed, albeit a tad uncertainly. "Sorry Marcus," She told him. "Not for you. You could ask Ondina if you'd like." She added slyly.

"I'd rather gargle acid." Marcus said cheerfully. He then sighed and shook his head. "It's no fun to make fun of her if she isn't here."

"So what did Rita want to talk to you about?" Zach asked curiously. "We waited up for you at the gate for a little while but you never came out."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Marcus said dismissively. "Long story short, she liked having another body to help out with the lessons. She asked me if I would mind coming to lessons from now on to help her out. I told her I would think about it." The lie was believable enough, all the best lies had some truth after all, but Marcus knew he had to sell the story if he was going to avoid being questioned further.

"You should come!" Evie told him excitedly. "Ondina actually had fun last night. Actually, having you there made it a lot more fun. I actually feel like I accomplished something."

"Me too."

 _So that's three of us._ Marcus said, smiling inwardly. He shrugged noncommittally however and put on an airs of uncertainty. "I don't know." He told them. "It was fun, but I'm not sure I should be around Mimi and Ondina. They don't really seem to like land people."

Evie snorted and Zach scowled in unison. "If Mimi didn't like land people, she would be the biggest hypocrite I know." Evie confided to Marcus. "She's dating a guy at the marine park who works with dolphins. A human."

"Really?" Marcus was intrigued. "Hm. I figured that there would have been rules against that."

"What made you think that?" Zach asked.

"Well, mostly when I saw David and Serena the other day." Marcus said. "Serena freaked out the first time that I saw them together. I thought she must have thought I was a merman from your pod."

Zach shook his head immediately. "I doubt it," He chuckled. "Considering that the pod is gone for a little while, and I am the only merman in the pod."

Marcus filed that bit of information away for later consideration, but he chose not to pursue the subject for the time being. "Isn't it dangerous for her to be dating a guy like that?" Marcus asked. "I mean, he works in the water after all."

"It isn't easy," Evie agreed. "Mimi has to make a lot of excused to both the pod and to Chris, but they make it work."

"Good for them." Marcus said. "Some things are worth extra effort. Having someone special in your life is one of those things."

They sat down in their seats for class and Evie immediately turned to examine Marcus closely. He stared calmly back at her, crossing his arms. "Has someone caught your eye?" Evie asked bluntly. "A certain blonde mermaid you enjoy teasing?"

"First off, I do not tease. I torment relentlessly. Teasing is what people with no gift for sarcasm do." Marcus said, slightly affronted. "Secondly, this isn't some wayward love story. I'm not the type to fall in love at first sight. Besides, I think that Ondina is still a little broke up after Erik. She's going to need time. She's not the type to rebound within a few weeks."

"You seem like you really get Ondina." Evie told him honestly. "Are you sure you aren't interested at all?"

"I get Ondina because she is a lot like me." Marcus told them. They looked at him blankly and he clarified his statement. "She doesn't trust easily. The people she does trust are the ones she holds most dear. I doubt there are more than a dozen people she actually fully trusts. Erik was one of those people. Right now, Ondina doesn't know _how_ to trust someone else. She wants to, but she can't remember how."

Cam had taken a seat next to Marcus midway through his explanation and now all three of them were staring at Marcus with their mouths hanging open in shock. "What?" Marcus asked defensively. "I know how she feels is all."

"Why can't she trust anyone else?" Zach asked, still looking at Marcus intently.

"Because Erik betrayed her." Marcus said simply. "She trusted him with what she held most dear, her pod, and he nearly destroyed it. Right now she thinks that she is the one to blame for the whole merman chamber incident. She's punishing herself by not letting others close."

"You think she really thinks she caused it?" Evie asked quietly.

Marcus frowned at them, not sure if they were pulling his leg. They looked genuinely confused at his rapid summation of Ondina's mental state. "You all have realized this by yourselves… right?" Marcus asked. It was possible they hadn't, judging by their stricken expressions. Marcus had seen the pain so clearly etched in Ondina's eyes the first second they had met and Erik's tale had written in the story behind that sadness.

"Ondina…. Never really told anyone what she was feeling." Cam said delicately. "She's not that kind of girl."

"Of course not." Marcus muttered to himself, though the others definitely heard. "Listen, she probably thinks that her feelings for Erik got in the way of her protecting the pod."

"So why does she stop acting like that whenever you make fun of her?" Evie asked. "Because she at least acts like she's normal then."

"Because someone is taking an _interest_ in her." Marcus said, suddenly both furious and tired of this conversation in equal amounts. "Let me guess, you thought she needed her space right?"

"I tried to talk to her!" Evie said, raising her hands as if in defense of a blow. "We all did! She told us that she didn't want to talk about it."

"Of course she didn't-." Marcus bit off his words and shook his head. He got wearily to his feet and picked up his bag just as the school bell rang. The teacher walked into the classroom just as Marcus walked out.

"Excuse me, Mr. White." The teacher said sternly. "Any particular reason that you are leaving class early?"

"Nope." Marcus said as he looked over his shoulder and waved. "I'm taking today off. I've got something to do."

"If you do not come back right now I will be writing you up and then you can explain to Principal Santos why you thought cutting class was a good idea." The teacher warned, clearly expecting Marcus to come back with his tail tucked between his legs.

It wasn't the teacher's fault for such a method. On almost any other student it most likely would have been effective. Marcus, however, merely shrugged and grinned at the teacher insolently. "I got thrown out of a several million dollar a year boarding school," He told the teacher frankly. "If threats made an impression on me, they would have gotten to me there. Have a good day, see you Monday."

The teacher sputtered for a response, clearly thrown for a loop by the simple sincerity behind Marcus's words. Eventually he strode back into the classroom and slammed the door behind him. By that time Marcus was already out of the school and moving purposefully for Rita's house. He wasn't certain that Ondina would be there, but he had all day to find her. If she wasn't at Rita's he would then check the café. If she wasn't there, well, he was beginning to enjoy climbing the cliffs that led to the Moon Pool. He looked up at the clear blue sky and took a deep breath. Marcus was a good person, and though Ondina might not like him very much he just couldn't bear seeing someone in so much pain.

 **Bit of a longer chapter today, but I enjoyed writing this. Some insight into Marcus the person here. As always, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your reviews. You are the best. -Hallowed**


	17. Too Far?

He didn't bother knocking when he arrived at Rita's house, simply pushing the door open and stepping inside. Poseidon heard the arrival and came to investigate, gazing up at Marcus with a curious yet bored look. Marcus in turn glared down at the cat. "I still have not forgiven you." He warned. "You just go somewhere else and leave me alone you little devil."

He walked to the back room where he the opening to the secret cavern was and paused, frowning. A book shelf stood where the entrance should have been. Marcus pursed his lips and began to examine the shelf, running his hands along the various books. "Must be a secret entrance…" He murmured, now pulling on each book. One in particular, a large book on mermaid mythology, did not budge when he pulled on it. He ran his hand up the spine and pulled again from the top. The book tilted back and the wall clicked, sliding away to reveal the staircase. Marcus grinned smugly. "I win." He said, descending the stairs.

The grotto appeared empty, but he was not entirely certain that appearances were truth. He whistled a tune to himself as he began to examine the various things that Rita had around the grotto. He lifted up a golden cup, appearing to take interest while he was intently listening for any movement. He placed the cup back where he found it and picked up an emerald brooch from a pile of golden coins, throwing it up in the air and catching it. He sat down on the stone couch, running the brooch across his knuckles as he patiently waited. He still wasn't certain that he was alone, but he decided that fifteen minutes would be long enough.

He only had to wait five. A mermaid appeared in front of him, her arms crossed and an annoyed look on her face, but it wasn't Ondina. Mimi stared down at him, silently waiting for him to explain his presence. Marcus sighed disappointedly and got to his feet, tossing the brooch back to the pile of coins. "You aren't the one I'm looking for." He told Mimi, looking around the cavern. "Is Ondina here?"

"No, she's not." Mimi said, her annoyance melting away to give way to curiosity. "Why are you looking for her?"

"I just need to talk to her." Marcus said. He wasn't willing to get into the reason for his search with more people than he absolutely had to. It would only make things more difficult to help Ondina. "Where is she?"

"Mako." Mimi told him. But then added, "I think. She hasn't-."

"She hasn't been social lately." Marcus waved away the words before they could even be said. He already knew enough. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. Alright. Sorry for bothering you."

He turned to leave and had begun to ascend the stairway when Mimi spoke up. "You know, I haven't met any land boys like you before." She told him.

Marcus paused, his hand on the stone wall. He faced Mimi and tilted his head to one side. "I'm not sure that's a good thing." He told her honestly.

"I don't know if it is or isn't." Mimi said honestly. "I don't even know if I like you or not. But I think you might be able to help Ondina."

"I think I can too." Marcus told her. "Or at least, I can make her stop hating herself. As for liking me, well, I won't hold my breath waiting for you to make up your mind either way."

He waved a goodbye over his shoulder as he left, heading to the docks. He was reasonably certain that Mimi would grow fond of him in time, which was why he had not given it too much concern when she professed to be unsure of her feelings about him. Even if she didn't Marcus wasn't truly bothered. He had more pressing concerns than to be bothered by such a petty thing like being liked or disliked.

Arthur was on the pier again, tinkering with something or other on his boat. He saw Marcus approaching and frowned at the young man. "Skipping school two days in a row?" He asked Marcus, disapproval evident in his tone. "You know, I place a lot of value on getting a good education."

Marcus thought quickly, understanding that Arthur would not be willing to give the keys to his boat to someone he did not approve of. "I talked to Principal Santos," He lied smoothly. "When I went climbing yesterday I lost my bag. It has something very important to me, so I need to go get it. I can call her if you want, she'll tell you the same thing."

Arthur looked at him through narrowed eyes for a long moment. Marcus gazed calmly back at him, one eyebrow slightly raised as he was examined. Arthur reached slowly into his pocket and withdrew the keys, tossing them to Marcus. The merman caught them without breaking his gaze from Arthur, nodding in thanks.

The outboard roared to life and Marcus tore out of the harbor with the wind whistling across his face. As he drove he longed to dive into the water and swim to Mako. He smiled to himself as he imagined Ondina's face if he swum into the Moon Pool with a tail. But it was a fleeting thought as he pulled the boat onto the beach. He leapt onto the sand and made a beeline for the cliffs. He scrambled up them in record time with not an ounce of strain in his limbs as he looked down into the cave. A blonde mermaid had her head buried in her arms against the stone. Marcus stared down at Ondina for a long moment, feeling the sadness emanating from her. He took a step back and took a deep breath, massaging his temples with the tips of his fingers.

A sudden idea came to him then, a crazy, stupid, reckless idea. Marcus didn't think twice as he put his plan into action. He put the backs of heels against the lip of the hole and spread his arms out to his side, palms facing the sky. "Hey Ondina!" He yelled, praying that she was still there and not too lost in her thoughts to hear him. "Trust fall!" And with that he fell backward. He closed his eyes as he passed the point of no return, his heart hammering away in his chest. He fell for what seemed to be an eternity before an invisible force seized hold of him and his fall was drastically slowed. He laughed on the stone floor of the cave, hard. He rolled several times before he managed to right himself into a sitting position. In the pool, Ondina had her hand extended towards him. Her Moon Ring glowed a bright blue as her power surged through the stone, but as Marcus watched the glow faded back into the depths of the gem.

"What are you doing?" Ondina demanded, her fury almost giving Marcus pause.

Marcus rubbed the back of his neck painfully, rolling his shoulders. He had landed somewhat painfully, and he was certain that he would have bruising up and down his neck and back in the morning. But it was worth it. Ondina's fury was evident in her voice and expression which, to Marcus, meant that her emotions were temporarily displayed for all to see.

"Well, I _was_ falling. I am now sitting in a cave talking to a mermaid who just caught me with her powers." He frowned and pursed his lips. "I swear that sounded a lot less crazy in my head."

"Why are you here?" Ondina muttered, moving to the other side of the Moon Pool and placing her arms against the stone. Her back pressed against the stone as she stared down the unwelcome intruder.

"I came to talk to you." Marcus said honestly, scooting dangerously close to the water's edge and crossing his legs. He rested his arms on his knees and leaned forward. "So talk."

"Talk about what?" Ondina asked suspiciously, her anger fading in her voice.

"Just talk." Marcus said easily. "I'm not really picky about what. You can tell me how much you dislike me, you can talk about how lonely you are by yourself here, if you want to you can tell me all about your childhood. I'm going to listen."

"I don't want to talk to you." Ondina told him.

"Well then," Marcus said, heaving a theatrical sigh. "Because I'm not leaving until you talk to me. Actually…" Marcus only then realized that, in his haste to get down to the bottom of the Moon Pool, he had left the rope he usually used to get down here coiled up on top of the cliff.

"You can't leave, can you?" Ondina asked dryly. "Not without going out through the Moon Pool."

"Well, I have rope up there." He gestured vaguely to the top of the cave with one hand. "But until you decide to use your powers to get it for me then no, I have no way to get out of here. You are, in effect, stuck with me." He beamed at the blonde mermaid.

"What are you doing here?" Ondina asked again, the anger now almost completely gone from her voice. It had been replaced with the lifeless voice she had been using almost since he had met her.

"Well, bothering you for a start." Marcus said honestly. He had no intention of letting the anger fade from her. Anger was a very effective key that he could use to unlock the rest of her emotions that she had bottled up inside. It just so happened that making people angry was something of a specialty for Marcus. "And waiting for you to talk to me."

"I don't want to talk to you." Ondina repeated dully.

Marcus steeled himself mentally for what was about to happen, for what he was about to say. _Oh man,_ He thought miserably. _I really wish I could think of another way._ He forced a cold, amused grin to stretch across his face and he fell back on his elbows. He regarded her for a long time like that, stretched out next to the pool. Eventually Ondina was forced to take notice as he continued to smile at her, clearly amused. "What are you smiling at?" She demanded, her anger flaring again.

"Nothing." Marcus said easily. "I was just thinking that maybe you'd like to talk to Erik. I mean, that worked out _so_ well for you last time, right?"

The color disappeared from Ondina's face, her eyes widening in shock at what Marcus had just said to her. For his part, Marcus raised a single eyebrow and chuckled softly. It wasn't a happy chuckle, or even a sad one. It was a lifeless, emotionless laugh that he had to dredge up from the very bottom of his soul. But it did the job. Ondina was screaming at him before he even heard her first words.

 **Very much enjoyed writing this chapter. Also looking forward to writing the next one. As always, your reviews mean the world to me. I notice a lot of Marcus x Ondina love in the reviews as well. Interesting... -Hallowed**


	18. Let's Talk

When Ondina finally stopped screaming at him Marcus's head and ears were ringing. The stone chamber had caused her screams to echo which only accentuated the fury in her words. The echo was slightly fortunate however as after the first string of insults registered, the rest was just white noise. Ondina's chest heaved as she caught her breath, glaring at Marcus. "Well, I said you should talk to me but I guess screaming is a start." He shrugged the shoulder he wasn't leaning on and smiled slightly at Ondina. "So did that little fit make you feel any better?"

"I'm leaving," She said, pushing off the wall and wiping at her eyes with the backs of her hand.

Marcus narrowed his eyes as he thought fast. "Yeah, go ahead, run away." He said airily, lying on his back and tucking his hands behind his head as a pillow. "It seems like that's what you do nowadays anyways.

He closed his eyelids until he was just barely able to see past his eyelashes. He glanced to where Ondina treaded water. He felt a small surge of triumph as he beheld the stricken expression on her face. "Alternatively," Marcus spoke up again. "If you are still there you could just do what I came down here for in the first time. You could talk to me."

"It's not your problem." Ondina told him. "Just leave me alone."

"No can do." Marcus said. He pointed up at the hole in the cave before placing his hand back behind his head. "Still no rope to climb out."

A few moments later he felt something soft yet firm hit him in the chest. He opened one eye and saw the rope dangling from the ceiling. He turned his head and saw Ondina lowering her hand, obviously annoyed. "There." She said, raising her chin. "Now you can leave."

"I sure can." Marcus yawned, closing his eyes again. He waited for a full minute before he opened his eyes again and grinned at Ondina. "But what I can do and what I actually do are two totally different things."

"Why do you have to be so infuriating?" Ondina snapped. Marcus could read her thoughts as clear as day from her face and her tone of voice. _Who does he think he is_? She was thinking right about now.

"Well _I'm_ not the one being infuriating right now." Marcus shot back. "Do you think I want to spend all day in a cave? I could be home sleeping right now or annoying some unfortunate teacher. Instead I'm stuck in a cave with a mermaid who just spent five minutes screaming at me. And I have a headache."

"Then leave!" Ondina said.

"Nope." Marcus sat up and stared down at her. She stared back at him. This continued for about five minutes before Marcus sighed and pulled out his cell phone. He laid back down on the ground and began tapping at his screen.

"What are you doing?" Ondina demanded. She knew what a cell phone was, but the small device seemed out of place in an environment so rich with magic like the Moon Pool.

"Right now?" Marcus asked dispassionately. "Playing Tetris. If I have to wait here for you to talk, fine. But I'm not going to be bored while I wait. Thus, Tetris it is."

"No one is making you stay." Ondina said, but Marcus caught the slight inflection in her tone. It was faint, but Marcus heard the very, _very_ slight reluctance hidden in her words. Her anger was still first and foremost however. "You can leave any time you want."

"Well I do not want." Marcus said, tapping away with his index finger. "What I want is for you to talk…. Preferably in a normal voice. The screaming was a bit much."

"You deserved it." Ondina told him.

"Oh, I'm not saying I didn't." Marcus agreed immediately. "But I would still prefer it if you didn't yell."

"I don't understand you." Ondina told him but she nonetheless had taken her spot at the opposite end of the pool and was now staring at Marcus. "But I get the feeling that if I leave here you will just find me again."

"Aw, see? You are getting to know me." Marcus laughed.

"Unfortunately."

"Now that is just wildly inappropriate." Marcus scolded.

"Says the one talking to a girl while he's on his phone!" Ondina shot back. Realizing what she had just said, she very hastily backtracked. " _Not_ that I care. Do whatever you like."

"I was going to anyways." Marcus said, unconcerned with her permission. "But like I said, I would rather hear you talk. Which, coming from me, is a compliment. I don't usually like hearing anyone other than myself talk." It wasn't true, strictly speaking. But he would be as annoying or talkative as he had to be in order to get Ondina talking.

"I feel so honored." She said dryly, but her lips quirked up in the barest ghost of a smile.

"I'm glad." Marcus nodded vigorously. He cursed as he failed the game, locking his phone and setting it in his pocket. He glanced over at Ondina and raised an eyebrow. "Well? Feeling talkative yet?"

"Why do you care so much anyways?" Ondina demanded. She eyed him suspiciously.

"Because if you keep pushing everyone away you won't have anyone left." Marcus told her quietly. "And trust me, being alone is not all it has cracked up to be. So, if you don't want to talk to any of the others then talk to me."

They stared at one another for a long, long time. Ondina seemed to be searching his eyes for something whilst Marcus was distracted by her ocean blue eyes. "What do you want me to talk about?" She asked finally.

"I don't really care." Marcus said honestly. "But you need to talk to someone about something. Anything really."

"Give me something to talk about then." Ondina told him. She hesitantly made her way across the pool and placed her arms on the stone beside Marcus's head.

For his part Marcus laid on his side, placing his weight on one arm. "I don't know all that much about mermaids." He admitted. "Is it true what they say about a mermaid's kiss being able to save a man from drowning?"

"Curious to find out?" Ondina asked slyly.

Marcus had closed his eyes when he laid back on his side, but now they snapped open and fixed Ondina in his sights. She had a superior smile on her face, her eyes sparking with a mischievous light. He scowled at her as he instantly realized that he had just fallen victim for the same brand of sarcasm that he used. "You think you are _so_ funny." He muttered. But he smiled inwardly. It was a small step, very small, and he had absolutely nothing to base it off of, but he thought that maybe he had just glimpsed the real Ondina. "Lucky I didn't call your bluff. More than likely your kiss would actually drown someone rather than save them."

"I'm not sure if you just insulted me." Ondina frowned at him. "Or just made a bad joke."

"I never make bad jokes." Marcus said straight-faced. "Which leaves option one."

Now it was Ondina's turn to scowl. "I don't get why the others like having you around so much."

"Well of course you wouldn't." Marcus said, waving a hand through the air. "With as much time as you have been spending with the lately you probably don't get a lot of things going on in their life."

"I've been busy." Ondina muttered, clearly unhappy with the direction that the conversation had taken.

"No, you've been separating yourself from them." Marcus corrected. "Probably because you blame yourself for what happened with Erik and the merman chamber."

For just a moment, Marcus dropped his sarcastic façade. At the same time, Ondina's surprise at Marcus's words forced her to drop the distant, boding air she had used as a shield for several weeks. The two young people looked into each other's eyes and Marcus smiled at her with genuine kindness and understanding. "It wasn't your fault." He told her quietly. "Our hearts make fools out of all of us at one time or another. You need to stop blaming yourself, Ondina."

She opened her mouth to say something, but Marcus quickly overrode her. "You had your chance to talk." He told her sternly. "Now you have to deal with me. Listen, I've only known you for about a week. Getting to know you would be nice, but it wouldn't kill me if you never spoke to me again."

Marcus paused and took a deep breath before he continued on. Ondina was watching him through wide eyes, her chin resting on her arms. "But your friends out there?" Marcus gestured vaguely to a side of the cave. "Zach, Evie, Mimi, Rita, Cam? They are all worried sick about you. None of them have ever blamed you for the merman chamber thing, and none of them ever will. The only one who can't let go of that is you. You _need_ to forget about it. If you don't you are going to start letting your friends drift away. Go talk to them. Now." Marcus got slowly to his feet at the end of his speech. He grabbed the rope in his hands and pulled on it experimentally.

"Thank you." Was all Ondina told him before she dove under the water and disappeared out of the Moon Pool. Marcus watched her go before he began his own escape from the cave.

When he pulled himself onto the top of the cliffs he pulled the rope up behind him and smiled down at the empty cave. "You're welcome." He said to the water.


	19. Punishment

It was hard to say whose face was more surprised, Marcus's or the teacher whose classroom he had walked out of earlier. After he had dropped off the boat he had decided to head back to school simply out of sheer spite for the same teacher he now faced. He had expected that his class would have been over by the time he returned, but Zach, Evie, and Cam sat right where he had left them. "Oh." Marcus blinked. "Hi. Came back to see what work I had missed. Guess that's not necessary."

The teacher's mouth fell open as Marcus strolled back to his seat and fell onto the chair. He looked expectantly at the teacher just as the bell rang overhead. The class very slowly got to their feet, each of their eyes on either Marcus or the teacher. But the confrontation they expected ever happened. Marcus left the class whistling with the others on his tail. "So how did it go with Ondina?" Evie asked as they sat down for their next class.

"Fine, I guess." Marcus shrugged. "Kind of hard to tell with this type of thing. But I think she might be a little better now. She won't go right back to being the Ondina you guys know, but I think she'll start."

The class was as boring as Marcus had thought it would be, possibly more so. He wasn't the best of students and he had more pressing matters circling around his thoughts. The door to the class opened and Rita poked her head in, smiling apologetically at the teacher. "Sorry, but could I borrow Marcus?" She asked.

"Not a problem." The teacher smiled back. "Mr. White, please grab your things."

"Sure deal." Marcus sighed. He knew this familiar scene all too well. "Any homework tonight?"

"I'll send it along with Zach." The teacher assured him as she closed the door after Marcus.

"Come with me." Principal Santos said brusquely, striding down the hall at a pace that Marcus had to hurry to keep up with.

They walked in silence all the way to her office. When the door closed behind them Rita gave him a long exasperated look as she sat down at her desk. "Please tell me that you have a good reason for leaving class early." She said slowly, her head in her hands. "One that I can tell your teacher."

"I have a good reason for leaving class early." Marcus told her. "I had to leave class so that I could talk to Ondina, a mermaid who is having a lot of after-break-up trouble."

"You know that you can't leave class any time you want, correct?" Rita asked him, ignoring his sarcasm.

"You know, they said the exact same thing at my boarding school." Marcus recalled.

"Marcus, things like this draw attention to us." Rita told him. "Attention we do not need. I agreed to keep your secret because I thought that you were more cautious than this."

Marcus's face soured. "I left because I wanted to help someone." He shot back. "That's gotta count for something."

"Marcus, I'm not trying to argue with you." Rita told him tiredly. "But I need you to be more subtle. Gaining a reputation like you just did today is only going to make it harder on you to keep your secret. Why not tell the others?"

"Because I don't want to." Marcus said. He didn't know how to explain his thoughts, nor did he particularly care to. It was something that he wanted to keep to himself for as long as he could. "Not yet at least." He added quickly to placate Rita.

"I suppose it would be too much for me to hope that you have plans to tell them sometime soon?" Rita asked despondently.

"Yep." Marcus nodded vigorously. "Absolutely. Anyways, back to the matter at hand, what did you want me for?"

"I have to give you some form of punishment." Rita told him. "I'd rather be lenient for obvious reasons."

"Call my parents." Marcus yawned. "That should make Mr. Whatshisname happy."

"You mean Mr. Thomas?" Rita asked. She frowned as she studied Marcus. "Calling a student's parents is generally not something I do for a first offense."

"Which is why it should make Mr. Whatshisface happy." Marcus said, deliberately not using the teacher's name. "My parents won't care. I haven't spoken to them in a while anyways. I'll give you their number."

"If you think that is wise," Rita said. "You may go back to class. But, please Marcus, try not to draw any more attention to yourself. It only makes things harder on us."

"Got it." Marcus turned and stepped out into the hallway. He pulled out his phone and dialed his parent's number, putting the phone to his ear. The phone rang several times before an automated recording played, informing him that no one was able to answer at the time. Marcus sighed and ignored the pang of disappointment in his heart. "They won't answer anyways." He muttered.

The rest of the day passed by in a flash. Marcus was the picture of a perfect student, sitting quietly in class and speaking only when spoken to and taking constant notes. By the end of the day he was chafing at the bit to be out of his seat. When the day's final bell rang he was out the door before it had even stopped ringing.

The café was as empty as it had been yesterday, emptier in fact. Marcus found a note from David on the counter and quickly read through it. "On an errand…" Marcus surmised. He snorted a laugh and shook his head. "Yeah, okay. Because I'm going to believe that."

He stepped into the back room and pulled his shirt out of his backpack. He heard the doors open and hurriedly pulled on the shirt. He stepped out of the back room, a pleasant smile on his face as he looked for the patron. But his smile faded when he saw that the café was empty. "Stupid door." He muttered, pulling on a pair of gloves and grabbing a clean cloth from under the counter. When he stood back up Ondina was at the bar, smiling at him as he staggered back in surprise. The rag went flying in the air and landed on the floor at Ondina's feet. "What was that for?" Marcus demanded. He rubbed his chest as he willed his heart to return to a less frantic pace.

"For the cave." Ondina said cheerfully. She stooped down and picked up the cloth, tossing it to Marcus with a flick of her wrist.

Marcus caught it out of the air and placed it in the sink. He bent down to grab another cloth from under the counter, keeping a wary eye on Ondina as he did. When he stood back up he began to wipe down the polished wood of the counter, although there was no reason. David kept the entire café cleaner than most operating rooms. As he finished his task he raised an eyebrow at Ondina. "So, what can I get you?" He asked. "Same as last time?"

"Oh so you are going to make me juice now?" Ondina asked haughtily. "Without any arguing on my part? My how you have changed."

A muscle worked in Marcus's jaw as he slowly turned back to face the blonde mermaid. "Do you, seriously, want to play this game? With me?" He asked her. "Because I promise you that-." His voice caught in his throat and Marcus found he could no longer make any sound.

"Just juice please." Ondina said pleasantly, her hands hidden beneath the counter.

"That's not fair." Marcus complained. He had quickly fixed Ondina her drink and slid it to her across the counter. "Like, at all."

"What is fair then?" Ondina asked curiously. "Because I don't see any rule book."

"What about morals?" Marcus demanded. "Don't you have them?"

"Didn't you dump a glass of water on me the other day?" Ondina shot back.

"You dumped two glasses of juice on me first!" Marcus snapped, outraged. "My actions were justified!"

"Then so was me using magic!" Ondina beamed at him. She sipped at her juice again and shrugged. "Still not bad. Not great though."

Marcus ground his teeth in frustration, sifting through his mental reserve of comebacks. He gave a growl of frustration when he found that none of them fit having an argument with a mermaid. "Whatever." He grumbled. "Just don't do that again, that's just mean."

"Fine then," Ondina shrugged one slender shoulder. "Then don't pour any water or juice on me. That's fair, right? You don't make me grow a tail and I won't turn you into a cat."

Marcus caught her eye and stared into their blue depths. "You're bluffing." He declared, but he switched his gaze to her Moon Ring.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." Ondina said breezily, "Want to find out if I am?"

Marcus quickly came to the understanding that he might have just lost this argument. He worked his jaw furiously, searching desperately for some sort of witty response. But to his astonishment and disappointment it appeared that his sarcastic demeanor had left him. "Fine, fine." He grumbled. "You win."

"Of course I do." Ondina said, finishing her drink. She set the empty glass down on the bar and hopped down from her chair. "See you tonight at Rita's." She smiled at Marcus and walked out of the café, her walk exuding confidence.

Marcus saw the change in her walk immediately, but the sense of accomplishment he felt was eclipsed by a different one. He ran a hand down his face as he groaned. "What have I done?" He demanded of the empty café. If that was how Ondina was normally, then Marcus realized he might just have met his match.


	20. Trapped

Marcus woke up slowly, the dregs of the night still apparent in the window. The sun had not yet peeked above the horizon and he fell back onto his back. A small sound of annoyance caught his attention and he turned his head to see Ondina staring at him grumpily. "Good morning." He smiled, running the back of his hand across her shoulder. "Did I wake you up?"

"Yes." Ondina complained, shoving his shoulder playfully. "You know I don't like getting up early. The water is too cold."

"The water?" Marcus frowned. He took a deep breath to inquire further when he felt his lungs suddenly spasm. Cold water rushed into them just as he inhaled and then the bedroom fell away around him. Ondina was still there, smiling at him as though nothing had happened. "What's going on?" Marcus demanded, grabbing at his chest as his lungs continued to throb in pain.

His tail appeared then and the water ceased to hurt as he breathed. Ondina slid her arms around his chest and pulled him close. She looked up at him with such tenderness that he had never seen before and smiled. "It's alright, it's just a nightmare." She told him calmly. She then frowned and added, "But I'm not sure why _I_ am in your nightmare."

Marcus shot up in his bed, his heart hammering and his breath quick. His gaze darted around the room and he pushed aside the blankets to see his legs. He took a deep breath and slapped himself across the face, hard. Certain he was now awake, he fell back onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling. The sun had risen high into the sky and beams of light streamed into his window, stinging his eyes. Marcus checked his cell phone out of sheer habit and saw a voicemail from David flashing on his screen. He played the message and put the phone to his ear, trying hard to focus and not fall back asleep. "Hey, Marcus, I know I told you that you could have today off but Carly called in sick. Would you mind coming in?" David had ended the call then.

Marcus sighed and got out of bed, throwing on a pair of shorts and his work shirt. He threw a load of laundry in the washer before he left, working carefully around the water. He had managed to avoid growing a tail for several days now and his dream only made him even more hesitant. He tossed the keys in the potted plant as he walked down his steps, checking the time on his phone as he walked. David had called only a half hour ago, so Marcus figured that he had every justification to take his time heading to the café.

"Hey! Marcus!" He glanced towards the source of the noise and saw Evie hurrying out of Zach's house. "Good morning! What are you doing up so early?"

"David called me. Carly's sick." He yawned and shook his head. "What about you? I thought you didn't open your shop for another hour?"

"I like to set up early on Saturdays." Evie told him. "Mind if I walk with you?"

"Not at all," Marcus shrugged carelessly.

"So how are things going? Liking it here?" Evie asked him.

Marcus looked at her curiously as he considered his question before he burst into laughter. When the mirth finally subsided he shook his head and answered her, "You know, I forgot that I've only been here for a few days." He gazed out over the sea and shook his head again, this time I disbelief. "I've already gotten so used to this whole Mako Mermaid thing, I guess it's just normal to me."

Evie smiled back at him and rolled her eyes. "Everyone else feels the same way too." She told him conspiratorially. "It feels, I don't know, normal I guess, for you to be here. Like you were here all along."

"I'm hoping to stay here for a little while." He told her happily.

Evie frowned at him. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't you stay?"

Marcus waved a hand dismissively. "My parents like to say that familiarity breeds sloth. They keep me moving from place to place pretty regularly. Actually, the boarding school I was at before here was the longest I've ever been in one place." He frowned as he stopped speaking. "You know, considering I was only there a few months before I was thrown out, that's actually kind of sad."

"You don't think that they would make you move again, do you?" Evie asked him.

"They'll probably try." Marcus admitted. "But I like it here. If they try to make me move again, I'll refuse. They won't try after that."

Evie sent him a searching look. "Are you sure they won't?" She inquired. "I mean, my parents-."

"Your parents are actually _good_ parents." Marcus cut her off. "I haven't seen my parents for a couple years. There are months when I don't even talk to them. Their business dealings keep them pretty busy."

"That's awful Marcus." Evie said, apparently shocked and appalled. "How do you manage that?"

"When something happens for so often, it becomes normal." He told her sagely. "Besides, it's not that bad. They pretty much let me live my life the way I want to live it, so that's always a plus."

"So when you go home at night…?" Evie let the words hang in the air.

"Occasionally I see the woman who buys my groceries for me." Marcus said brightly. "But other than her, no, it's just me. They might visit one day, but I doubt it."

"That's awful Marcus." Evie told him.

"It's not so bad." He waved a hand airily. "I'm fine with it, really I am. I'm used to it by now."

"Why don't you come by my house tonight for dinner after Rita's?" Evie offered kindly.

Marcus was horrified. "We have magic lessons tonight?" He demanded. "It's Saturday! I have a huge issue with doing anything that even resembles learning on a Saturday. It's criminal."

"You aren't the one learning." Evie reminded him, though she couldn't have been more wrong. Marcus learned as much from the meetings that the others did, though they surely were not aware of it. "So are you coming tonight?"

"Well, I would have to check with my secretary…" Marcus trailed off. He saw the stunned look on Evie's face and scowled. "That was a joke. I don't have a secretary. I would love to join you for dinner, thank you." He smiled at her.

"Great! I'll invite Zach and Ondina too." Evie said casually. "I'll have Dad get the grill ready. How do you feel about hamburgers?"

"I love them," Marcus told her. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and chewed on his cheek as he thought about what she had said. He shrugged inwardly and sighed before asking, "So why are you inviting Ondina? I thought that she was being antisocial?"

"She is, but I thought with you there she might actually go." Evie said nonchalantly.

Marcus studied her out of the corner of his eye, convinced that she was planning something but unsure of what it was. "You know, that kind of defeats the purpose of what I was invited to the meetings to do." He said hesitantly. "I mean, you wanted me to annoy the hell out of her."

"Annoy who?" A familiar voice asked as they passed by Rita's house.

Marcus's head whipped around as Ondina stepped out of Rita's house. "You." He said immediately. He smiled wickedly at the blonde and shrugged. "I am supposed to annoy the hell out of you."

"You aren't doing a very good job." Ondina told him. "At best you irk me."

"Irk?" Marcus repeated. "Who says irk anymore?"

"I rest my case." Ondina told him. "Evie, what time was this dinner tonight anyways?"

Marcus turned slowly back to face Evie, glaring at her malevolently. "You sly little…." He let the rest hang unsaid in the air, understanding that he had just been played like a fiddle.

Evie winked at him as she turned to answer Ondina. "Right after magic lessons." She told her. "You still going?"

"I think so." Ondina smiled. "Thanks again for the invitation."

"I'm surprised you changed your mind." Evie admitted. "I wasn't at all expecting you to call me yesterday."

"Well, I wasn't going to." Ondina admitted. She glanced at Marcus and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "But I get the feeling that someone wouldn't let it rest if I didn't start being social again."

Marcus was not paying attention to the conversation and did not see the smile that Ondina directed at him. He was running through the events of the past few days and quickly realized that Evie had not just played him, she had composed a symphony. He had effectively baited the trap she had set and walked into it as well. If he had it correct in his head, Evie had asked Ondina several days prior to come to dinner. She had refused at first, and then accepted after Marcus had spoken to her. _So that's how it is._ Marcus thought to himself. _Fine. I'll play. But I won't play nice._

"Ya know, I just remembered." Marcus said, clapping his hands together. "I have to work late tonight at the café."

"Oh, don't worry." Evie smiled at him. "I'll talk to David, I'm sure he'll understand. Besides, he has a date with Serena anyways."

"Are you coming too then?" Ondina asked.

Marcus sighed and accepted that he had been outmaneuvered in full. "Yes." He said resignedly, "I'll be there apparently."

He could not miss the triumphant smile that Evie directed at him behind Ondina's back. _I don't know what you are playing at,_ He directed the thought towards Evie, his eyes hard. _But whatever it is, I will find out._


	21. A Familiar Stranger

"Alright well I think that should be good enough for today." Rita said, surveying the scene before her. Various plants were set in front of each of the young merpeople, save for Marcus. He was lounging on the stairs, watching interestedly. The lesson for today had been a rather boring one in his opinion, but he had still paid rapt attention as Rita explained the importance of being able to manipulate the various plants found around the sea for their own purposes. She had set the young students to attempting to make the plants grow at a much accelerated rate, with varying degrees of success. Evie had shown that she had a much better grasp on this particular brand of magic than the others as her plant had nearly covered the floor for ten feet all around her. Zach had proven to be the most ineffective, he had actually managed to kill his plant. "You may leave your plants where they are. I'll collect them after you leave."

"You don't want a hand?" Marcus asked, pushing off the stairs with a groan. He stretched mightily and his back gave a series of satisfying popping sounds. "I've got nothing to do."

"Yes you do." Evie told him, shooting him a glare. "You promised that you would come to dinner tonight."

"Oh, Marcus, are you coming too?" Mimi asked curiously. "That's nice. I can introduce you to Chris."

Marcus yelled internally as he shot Evie another scowl. "Yeah," He told Mimi with false brightness. "Sounds good. I'd love to meet him."

"So who's all going tonight anyways?" Ondina asked. "I didn't know Mimi and Chris were going."

"Well, Mimi, Chris, Zach, myself, Cam, Carly, David, Serena, you, and Marcus." Evie answered, rattling off the names.

"Plus your parents?" Marcus asked, though at this point he had all but figured out Evie's little plan. If he had her figured correctly, her parents would be oddly absent from their little meeting under some pretense or another. This was as much about them being able to be their real selves as it was a couples' dinner. "Full table."

"No, they won't be there." Evie said dismissively. "They are going out to dinner by themselves. We have the house to ourselves so I hope that someone knows how to cook."

"David can cook," Serena offered. "Sort of. He's not the best but he tries."

"I'm out." Zach laughed and Mimi echoed his statement. "I burn everything I touch."

"That sounds like a personal problem." Marcus observed. "If that's the case, then I feel bad for Evie."

His words had the desired effect and both of them turned beet red. "I don't know what you are talking about." Evie stated, turning away from Marcus.

But he wasn't content to let her off the hook just like that. He chuckled darkly and crossed his arms, his eyes darting between Zach and Evie. "So when I saw you leaving Zach's house early this morning, you were just visiting right?"

Rita's eyebrows disappeared into her bangs and she sent Evie a very disapproving look. "Evie, what is he talking about?" She asked.

Marcus knew that such a move was far, far below the belt. But as Evie quickly tried to explain herself to Rita he found that he had no qualms about such a tactic. As far as he was concerned she had deserved it when she tried to set up him and Ondina.

"We will discuss this later." Rita promised. "For now, all of you may go. I will see you tomorrow."

They began to file out, but Marcus lingered behind. "Mind if I stay a moment?" He asked Rita, loudly enough for the others to hear. "I need to talk to you about something we discussed earlier."

"Of course." Rita said graciously. "Please, sit."

The others left the grotto hesitantly, all of them shooting Marcus suspicious looks. Evie in particular stared him down, bringing up the rear of the merpeople leaving. Marcus waited for the door to close before walking over to the staircase and looking up just in case they had some unwanted eavesdroppers. He hopped down the steps and glanced to Rita. "Are we alone?"

She hesitated just long enough for Marcus to be suspicious before saying, "Yes of course. They left after all."

Marcus stared at the older mermaid for a long hard moment, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the lie. "We aren't alone." He stated. "Are we?"

"What makes you say that?" Rita asked, genuine curiosity in her voice.

"Just a feeling I guess." Marcus told her, casting his eyes around the grotto. He sat down on the stone couch and rested his head on a hand. "So? Who is it? Someone on the mermaid council? An old flame?"

"More like an old student." A voice that Marcus had never heard before said. A blonde mermaid appeared on the couch next to him, a Moon Ring glowing on her hand. Marcus shot to his feet and backed up warily, thoroughly shocked by the unexpected presence.

"Marcus," Rita said delicately, " _This_ is Lyla. Like she said she's a former student of mine. She's an old friend of Zach and the others as well."

"Which poses an interesting question of why were you invisible for that meeting?" Marcus wondered. "I mean, if I had some old friends like that then I would want to see them as soon as possible. Unless I left on bad terms of course."

"I just didn't see a good time to say hello." Lyla shrugged indifferently. "It doesn't really matter what you think about my choice of remaining hidden anyways."

Marcus found that this blonde girl thoroughly intrigued him. "Oh really?" He asked. "And why is that? Too good for the opinion of a land boy?"

"Well, if you were a land boy, then sure." Lyla said casually. "But you're hiding something too, aren't you?"

Marcus felt his heart sink deep into his chest. "What are you talking about?" He asked. The question was as cliché as it came, but he needed to know just how much she knew and how she figured it out.

"You're a merman." Lyla said as though the answer was clear. "It's so obvious, I can tell just by the way you were watching the others. Rita told me that you were down here just to help out, but you were learning just as much as them weren't you?"

Marcus took a mental step back and looked at Lyla from a completely observant perspective. She seemed to do the same to him, though she was smiling whereas he was frowning. _She's smart this one,_ He thought, _And dangerous. She figured me out in just an hour._

"Why don't we all sit down?" Rita said, ever the mediator. "Lyla, this is Marcus. And you are right, he is a merman."

"I thought so." Lyla said with so much confidence in her voice that it bordered on arrogance. "But he seems different too. Do the others know?"

"No, they don't." Marcus said, working hard to keep his face and voice neutral. "And if you wouldn't mind I would like to keep it that way."

"Keeping secrets from Zach doesn't always turn out well." Lyla advised him. "And if I know Ondina and Serena, it's the same with them. But I won't tell them. That's your secret."

"Thank you." Marcus said, inwardly relieved. "So what are you doing here?"

"I came back to visit for a while." Lyla said. "Mako is my home, but I've been away for a long time. Thought I would come back to see how everyone's been."

"Couldn't bring yourself to say hello, could you?" Marcus asked. "Let me guess, you weren't sure how they would react to seeing you so you decided to stay hidden."

"Like you have any room to talk." Lyla scoffed. "You are the same way. You don't know how they will react to knowing you have powers so you are keeping it hidden."

Marcus felt a reckless smile beginning to emerge on his face. It had been a long time since someone could read him so clearly, like an open book. He didn't know this Lyla girl, not really, but if nothing else she was interesting. "Well," He said at length. "They're having that dinner. Why don't you come along as my guest?"

"I wasn't invited." Lyla said cautiously.

"And I was tricked into going," Marcus said with a devious smile. "This way we both get to surprise them."

Rita looked back and forth between the two of them with an odd expression on her face. Lyla smiled at the teacher and nodded to Marcus. "I bet he causes you some problems, doesn't he?"

"You two are very similar." Rita said gravely, "And I'm not entirely sure that is a good thing."

 **As always, thank you all so much for your reviews. Good or bad, I appreciate them all. I rewrote this chapter several times and this and this is the version I am the most happy with. I realize that is somewhat rough, but I'm happy. Belated Happy Halloween and I look forward to your thoughts. -Hallowed**


	22. Reunion and Challenge

"So how did you get your tail?" Lyla asked as they exited Rita's house together. "Fall into the Moon Pool, right?"

"Fell into the Moon Pool twice actually." Marcus admitted. "I was climbing the cliffs above the Pool the first time and found it. I went down to search it and when I was climbing back up my rope snapped and I fell in. I don't remember what happened after that… I woke up underwater."

"And you could breathe underwater I'm guessing?" Lyla asked. "Sorry, stupid question. You wouldn't be here if you couldn't. So were you able to transform after that?"

"Nope." Marcus said, he hesitated and then shook his head confidently. "I haven't been able to grow a tail until very recently actually. Like within the past five days."

"So what do you think of it?" Lyla asked, looking at him eagerly. "It's amazing isn't it?"

"Haven't really had the chance to find out." Marcus said regretfully. "I've been really careful to avoid the others so I haven't really got the chance to swim. The next time that school gives us a vacation, which is next week actually, I'm going away to a secluded place to try it out."

"Want me to come along?" Lyla asked. Marcus frowned slightly and studied her eyes. She had not stopped smiling since they walked out of Rita's house, and Marcus found that he wanted to trust her. "I can imagine that figuring all this out on your own might be kind of overwhelming."

"Thanks." Marcus said after a moment's consideration. "But I'd like to try to figure it out by myself all the same."

"Well, if you change your mind just let me know." Lyla said cheerfully, evidently not at all upset by the refusal.

"Planning on staying around for a while?" Marcus asked.

"Maybe." Lyla said, "I haven't really decided yet. I've been staying with the Northern Pod for the past few months."

"You used to be friends with Zach and the rest, right?" Marcus recalled. "What happened? What made you leave?"

"The pod wasn't as understanding of mermen as they are right now." Lyla answered quietly. "Look, you will probably hear this from the others at some point so I'll just tell you. I didn't exactly leave here on great terms with the others. When Zach first got his powers, Serena, me, and another mermaid named Nixie were blamed. We let him into the Moon Pool and the pod kind of lost it. They left for a while and we were banished. So, we decided that all we had to do to get the pod back was to take away Zach's powers."

Marcus chewed his lip absentmindedly as he listened, considering Lyla's position and why she had reacted as she had. "Makes sense." He said finally. "I can understand your position."

Lyla looked at him with her eyebrows raised, clearly surprised. Marcus smiled at her and shrugged slightly. "If I was in your position and _my_ home was in trouble, I would do anything I could to get it back. But, that's just me. So what made the pod come to accept Zach?"

"Long story short he saved the island from-." Lyla began to explain, but Marcus cut her off when he remembered.

"Oh yeah, the merman chamber." He said smacking a hand to his forehead. "Now it makes sense."

"You seem to know an awful lot about Mako." Lyla observed.

Marcus smiled quietly to himself. "You would be shocked to hear what people say if you listen." Was all he said on the matter.

The rest of the walk was silent as the two of them considered the other. Marcus found Evie's house rather easily and walked around the back of the house with Lyla following close behind him. He stepped around the back and rolled his eyes at the spectacle before him. Serena and David had resumed their customary practice of staring longingly into one another's eyes. Evie and Zach were at the grill, frowning as they attempted to turn the machine on. Cam and Carly were in an animated discussion with Mimi and another man whom Marcus could only assume was Chris. Ondina was sitting in between David and Carly, listening in on the conversation though it was clear she was not participating. She looked up when Marcus came around the side of the house and smiled welcomingly at him, though the smile faltered when Lyla followed him. "Look who I found." Marcus said cheerfully in way of a greeting.

Everyone's eyes turned as one to look at Lyla. Marcus stepped aside and caught Evie's eye, winking at her casually as Serena, Ondina, and Mimi shrieked in delight and swarmed their friend. After a beat, Zach, Cam, and Carly also went to greet the familiar face. The only three not present in the reunion was Chris, Evie, and Marcus. Chris was clearly intrigued by the reunion, but he remained in his seat. He was smiling however, which is more than can be said for Evie. She was glaring daggers at Marcus who had the grace to look very slightly abashed. "I brought a plus one." He said, a tad unnecessarily. "That's not a problem, is it?"

The only answer Evie gave at the time was an even more malevolent glare directed at Marcus. But if she was actually going to speak, it was lost on the rest as they pulled up a chair for Lyla and began bombarding her with questions.

"What are you doing here?" Was the most prevalent, and was asked several times until Lyla got around to answering it. After that they began to question her, interrogation style until they were satisfied that everyone was all caught up on her life. It was then Lyla's turn to ask questions regarding each of their lives, and they were all too happy to answer. Marcus had been pulled to the table by someone and now found himself sitting between Chris and Ondina, listening interestedly as Mimi's boyfriend detailed what he did for a job.

Lyla listened with rapt attention before glancing to Mimi, a question in her eyes. "So, Chris, do you ever let Mimi help out with the dolphins?" She asked delicately. Marcus was impressed by the subtlety of the question. Depending on how he answered it would tell her just how much the human was aware of.

"Well, sometimes." He admitted. "I mean, mostly at night when everyone leaves the park. Don't want anyone seeing her with a tail right?"

"Absolutely." Lyla agreed.

A rumbling sound interrupted the reunion and everyone followed the source of the noise to Zach who rubbed his stomach and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I'm a bit hungry." He told them. He looked wistfully at the grill and then to David. "You mind?"

David looked regretful that he would be leaving Serena's side and Marcus decided to take pity on him. "Don't worry." He said, getting to his feet and striding over to the grill. "I got this. I cook for myself all the time, this should be a breeze."

"I'll help." Ondina said, following after him.

Surprised, but not opposed to the idea, Marcus began to play with the grill. A small flame at the bottom of the grill flared to life and soon he had managed to figure out the specifics of the machine. "Ever used a grill before?" He asked Ondina curiously.

"Nope." She said, examining the grill closely. "Never had a reason to use one. We don't cook most of what we eat."

"Which poses an interesting question." Marcus muttered, leaning down and opening up the small cooler that Evie had left beside the grill. Inside were various meats, including a large variety of seafood. Marcus was relieved to see a pair of disposable latex gloves under the grill and quickly pulled them on. He picked up several burgers in his hands and set them on the grill, quickly stepping back when the hot metal met the cold meat. Ondina had mimicked his quick action and was now perusing the contents of the cooler, making small sounds of delight at odd intervals. Marcus focused on the grill and the meats he had placed upon it for several minutes until an odd chewing sound came from his right. He turned his head and shook his head immediately. Ondina was watching him interestedly while making quick work of a fish filet.

"Enjoying that are you?" He asked, rolling his eyes.

"Want some?" She offered the filet.

"Think I'll pass." Marcus said, shivering in disgust. However, the more he thought about it the more he found that the filet, even raw, was more and more tempting. He shook off the desire and focused back on the meat. "So what do you think? Pretty easy right?"

"I guess." Ondina said, eyeing the meat distastefully. "But I don't know why you would bother trying to cook fish. It ruins the flavor."

"I love sashimi just as much as the next guy, but there is a limit." Marcus told her. "And my limit is what looks like a fish that was just caught this morning."

"If you ever come swimming, you really have to try oysters." Ondina told him sighing as she remembered the food. "They're delicious, really they are. Soft and salty with just enough zing to be interesting."

"Pass." Marcus dismissed the notion immediately. "I don't like swimming to be honest."

"And you are hanging out with mermaids?" Ondina asked. "Seems like a conflict of interest."

"Don't make me throw you in the water." Marcus warned, brandishing the tongs at her. "Because I will." He paused as he considered the threat. It was not nearly as bad as he had expected it to be and he was suddenly disappointed with himself.

"I doubt you could." Ondina told him, finishing off the last of the fish.

Marcus very carefully put down the barbecue tongs and turned to face Ondina. She looked up at him, her eyes alight with a challenge. "You sound confident on that." He observed, his blood thundering in his ears as the promise of a challenge sang through him.

Ondina appeared similarly engaged in their confrontation. "I am." She said dismissively, walking away with a sashay of her hips. "You wouldn't."

 _Careful Marcus, careful._ The rational part of him warned. _You don't want to get yourself wet here, it would only end badly. Just admit defeat._

But his competitive side was just as in control as his rational side was and the two sides went to war inside his skull. He watched Ondina walk away and take her seat at the table, casting a final challenging look over at him along with a sly grin. It was that small smile that drove the internal battle to the edge and Marcus's competitive side won over. "You are _so_ done." He growled, leaning forward and preparing to run at the blonde mermaid.


	23. Song

Breathing hard, Marcus had to admit that he might have actually overplayed his hand. Ondina smiled at him a few feet away while the others looked on and roared in laughter. With another growl he lunged for the mermaid, who danced away just barely out of reach. She had been doing that for several minutes now, despite Marcus's best efforts at capturing her. With a final growl of frustration, he threw his hands into the air and returned to the grill. He flipped the burgers with a sour expression on his face as he tried to steady his breathing and slow his heart beat. Ondina casually walked up beside him and smiled at him superiorly, not breathing hard in the least. "Done already?" She asked innocently. "I was having fun."

Marcus glared at her as he began setting the burgers on a plate. "I'm _so_ glad that you had fun." He said venomously.

"Thanks." She said brightly, walking back to the table and taking a seat.

Marcus returned his attention to the grill and began to lay new burgers onto the hot metal when the sound of footsteps alerted him to someone's approach. "Are you done gloating yet?" He asked, not bothering to look around.

"I haven't even started." Lyla said casually, leaning against the side of the house and smiling at him. "I could if you want though. I'm pretty good at bragging."

"Pass." Marcus returned his attention to the burgers. "Need something?"

"No, just wanted to see if you changed your mind about tonight." Lyla said. "About your swimming lesson."

Marcus frowned at her. "No, I can't say I have. Like I said, I'd like to figure it out by myself." He glanced to the others, who were immersed in a conversation about sea life from what he heard, and back to Lyla. "Besides, with them around it would be next to impossible."

"Maybe." Lyla agreed. "But you need to get some sort of feel for it, especially before the full moon."

"What happens on the full moon?" Marcus recalled that someone had once said that there was a significance between mermen and the moon, but he couldn't remember what was said.

"I really don't know." Lyla admitted. "It might be nothing now that the trident stone has been broken. But are you willing to take that chance?"

"Until someone gives me some evidence that _something_ will happen to me, then yes. I absolutely am." Marcus dismissed the issue out of hand and picked up the plate of burgers, walking it back to the table. "There! Dinner is served!" He said happily, awaiting some manner of praise.

Carly, David, Cam, and Chris grabbed hamburger buns and dug in eagerly to the food. The rest of the people at the table, the merpeople, were staring at the hamburgers with relative distaste. "Where's the fish?" Mimi asked, disappointment clear in her voice.

Marcus stared at her with open-mouthed annoyance. He shut his mouth and grabbed the cooler from which Ondina had grabbed the filet and pulled it over to the table. With a surge of strength, he lifted up the heavy cooler and set it on the table. Zach looked inside interestedly and made a soft exclamation of delight as he pulled out a lobster claw from the cooler and tore into it eagerly.

"That's better." Evie remarked to Marcus. She glanced at him and saw the expression on his face, and she adopted the look of being at a dear friend's bedside. "…Nevermind."

"Ungrateful fish." Marcus muttered, taking a seat at the table and grabbing himself a hamburger. "No respect for a good burger." But even as he ate he had to admit that the raw seafood seemed much more appealing than the burger he was eating. _You've gotta be joking._ He moaned to himself, looking longingly down at his burger.

The dinner went well, all things considered. When the food had been finished everyone began discussing what they had been up to in Lyla's absence. When it was Marcus's turn to share he simply smiled slightly and shook his head. "I haven't been anywhere that interesting." He shrugged.

"You were at a boarding school in Switzerland." Chris protested lightly. "That seems kind of interesting to me."

"It was just a bunch of rich entitled kids throwing around their parents' money." Marcus told them. "Really, it wasn't all that great. I was only there for a couple months before I got kicked out anyways."

"How did you get kicked out anyways?" David asked. "I mean, as your employer I think I should know."

"Did you really just play that card?" Marcus asked incredulously. "Really?"

"Yes." David nodded. "I did. Now spill. Everyone else has talked about what they were up to, you have to tell us at least one story."

Marcus sighed wearily before admitting defeat. "Fine, fine." He said crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat. "So the thing about that school is, they are _really_ strict. I mean, they basically collect all the best teachers from all over the world. But you get what you pay for I guess. Anyways, they had rules against sneaking out and I may have broken them… On multiple occasions."

"That's it?" Zach could not mask the disappointment in his voice. "You got kicked out for sneaking out of class?"

"No." Marcus said delicately. "I got kicked out for leaving the country a few times."

They stared at him in openmouthed astonishment and he smiled wickedly in response. "Sometimes it pays to have full access to your parents' private jets." He told them. It wasn't entirely true, he hadn't left the country. He _had_ left the school, but it was only to go climbing around the mountains that surrounded the school. He had returned by night every day. "But, that's not really a big deal."

"Your parents have a private jet?" Cam demanded. "And you can fly it?"

"No." Marcus frowned at the blonde haired man. "I can't fly it. We have pilots we hire exclusively to maintain and fly them."

"So why did you come here?" Zach asked curiously. "I mean, with that kind of money you could go pretty much anywhere right?"

"Yeah, but trust me, money doesn't buy happiness." Marcus's gaze lost focus and he thought back to the last time he had seen his parents. He shook his head slightly and stared around the table. "What you guys have, this right here, I would trade for in a heartbeat."

"Well, you don't have to." Zach told him. "You're in on the secret. Like it or not, you are stuck with us. And we're stuck with you."

"Great." Ondina sighed. "Just what I wanted to hear."

Marcus's head snapped around and he glared at the blonde mermaid. "You know, I'm not exactly thrilled about having to worry about you following me around either."

"Why would anyone follow you around?" Ondina scoffed loftily, flipping her hair.

"Because I am irresistible." Marcus told her. "It's one of my many wonderful personality traits."

"Not to mention modest." Ondina shot back.

"Absolutely." Marcus nodded his head in agreement. "I mean, could you imagine if I started bragging? I would be-." His voice cut off and his expression soured, looking slowly to Ondina.

She had one hand in the air and a very amused expression on her face. "You would be amazing in every way, I'm sure." She said sweetly. She got up from the table and ran her hand across Marcus's arm before striding down to the river and diving in.

Marcus watched her disappear under the water before returning his gaze back to the others. He slowly pushed to his feet and raised a single finger. "That does not count as getting the last word." He told them menacingly. " _That_ was not playing fair."

He left the dinner then, annoyed that he had let Ondina get the better of him. He checked his phone and looked up at the sky, unsure of where to go as his next destination. He decided to let himself wander around a bit and revel in the simple pleasure of being outside. His walk took him to the beach, and he walked along the water's edge as the sun set on the coast. He retreated several feet from the shore and sat down on the sand, stretching out his legs.

He looked out over the water and closed his eyes, enjoying the peace and the solitude. He sat like that for a long time, until an odd sound caused him to open his eyes. He frowned and tilted his head to the side, listening intently to discern what it was. With a start, he realized that it was singing. Someone was singing a song that was soft and sweet, the notes seeming to wrap around him. He wanted to hear more, desperately so. He slowly pushed himself up and staggered to the water's edge.

 _Into the sea, hold you close to me…_

Marcus gazed out over the water, searching eagerly for the source of the divine song.

 _Slide 'neath the waves… down into the caves…._

A distracted part of him, the part that fought at the song's hold on him, struggled desperately against his will to wade into the surf.

 _Kiss me my love…. Come rest in my arms…_

Marcus's will thrashed wildly inside his mind as he began to lift his foot and step into the waves. The waves lapped tantalizingly close to his shoes.

 _Dream your dreams with me… Slide beneath the sea…_

The song seemed to dig deeper into his mind with every word sung, but Marcus still fought on.

 _Come to me my love... Forget the land above…_

If it were possible, Marcus's will would have made a massive snapping sound as it broke. He stepped into the sea and staggered forward into the water until his tail emerged. Even under the water, the song seemed to reverberate throughout his being.

 **Author's note: As always, thank you very much for your continued support. I doubt I would care quite as much as I do about this story without your continued thoughts. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. -Hallowed**


	24. Encore

The only thing he remembered when he finally awoke from his song-induced trance were disjointed, random images of the ocean floor and the flash of a bronze tail. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, recognizing the weariness of sleep that made him want to lay back down. He blinked several times as his eyes adjusted to the gloom of wherever he was. Marcus didn't recognize where he was at first, but he did recognize one of the two voices that were arguing.

"-so _stupid!_ " Lyla was saying furiously. "Do you even realize what you would have caused if the others had seen him? Let alone any of the mermaid council?!"

"Calm down." Another mermaid answered, equally annoyed. "Look, he's waking up now. No harm done. I told you, I didn't even know anyone was listening."

"Why were you singing _that_ song anyway?" Lyla demanded. "Nixie, there is a reason it is forbidden."

"Believe it or not, I just like the song." Nixie sniffed, evidently annoyed. Marcus felt something nudge his shoulder and he turned around to see a brown haired girl staring down at him disdainfully. "Hey, you awake?"

"Sixty seconds." Marcus answered slowly, studying his surroundings. They were in a cave of some sort, but it was definitely not the Moon Pool cave. It was smaller, and seemed to be above the water line. Moon light illuminated a hole in the rock that Marcus took to be the exit. He returned his attention to the girls, his expression carefully neutral. "You have sixty seconds to explain what the hell just happened to me before I flip out. And I mean _everything._ "

"Don't worry about it." Nixie told him, clearly considering his wishes to be of zero importance.

Marcus hadn't used magic for much more than occasional interests, but he felt right now that a little magic was more than justified. He raised his hand and spun Nixie around just as she turned around. "I _said_ tell me what you did to me." He said through gritted teeth.

Nixie appeared to examine him through a new light. "Well, well, well, aren't you a stubborn one?" She observed.

"You have no idea." Marcus told her. "And you have thirty seconds left."

"Do you know what a Siren's song is?" Nixie asked. "Because if not this will take longer than thirty seconds."

"Yeah. It's an old rumor that mermaids used to sing sailors out of their ships so that they could drag them down into the sea and devour them." Marcus frowned. "I am not at the bottom of the sea, a sailor, or have been devoured. Way to be contrary to the stereotype."

The girls rolled their eyes simultaneously. "The siren song in old times was used to lure sailors out of their ships." Nixie told him. "But we don't do that anymore… well… not intentionally anyways. When I started singing I didn't see anyone on the beach."

"Just my luck." Marcus muttered. "So what happened after I blanked?"

"You scared the hell out of me." Nixie admitted. "I wasn't expecting a merman I didn't know to swim up to me like you did. I swam away and you chased after me. By the way, you don't know how to swim very well. You aren't supposed to use your arms underwater you know."

Marcus scowled. "I haven't had time to practice okay? Cut me some slack. So how did I end up here?"

"Well, I took you to the Moon Pool-."

"You did WHAT?!" Marcus roared. "Do you realize what would have happened if the others had seen me-?"

"Yes, yes." Nixie waved a hand through the air. "Lyla already read me the riot act over that. It was my mistake, but what else was I supposed to do? Let you swim around the sea under the spell? That would not have ended well and I didn't know how to undo the enchantment."

Marcus opened his mouth and then closed it before answering. "So, let me get this straight." He said after a moment's consideration. "You used a spell that you had _no idea_ how to reverse? Did you forget how to brain today, or do you like hearing yourself sing that much?"

"It was a mistake." Nixie snapped. "Lyla was in the cave so you don't have to worry about the others seeing you."

"That's not the damn point!" Marcus fumed. He glanced to Lyla who was watching the exchange silently, her arms crossed and that same annoying smile on her face. "If she hadn't been there, if say Ondina had been, do you realize what that could have turned into? What could have happened?"

"But it didn't!" Nixie answered, her anger now as evident as Marcus's. "So there is no point in worrying about what could have happened."

"That's exactly why there is a point in worrying!" Marcus argued. "From what I understand the pod is still adjusting to having Zach around. And after Erik and the chamber, I doubt that another merman would be high on their list of things they would be happy to see."

"He has a point." Lyla agreed. "You can't tell anyone about his tail. Not until he does anyways. If anyone else tells the pod, it will only look bad on Marcus. We just got Mako back, I don't want to leave again."

"I'm not gonna tell anyone." Nixie said, clearly injured by the assumption. "But if he is going to hide himself, he will have to get better in the water."

"I already told you," Marcus said sourly, "I haven't had a chance to practice. I'm going away for a couple weeks in the Caribbean. I have a private island out there. Plenty of room to practice."

"Oh the Caribbean." Lyla said wistfully. "I loved it there. The dolphins were so nice and the sharks were usually pretty friendly too. And the food…" She gave a happy sigh and twisted her hair around her finger.

"It would be good to go back." Nixie agreed. She cast Marcus a sly look and raised her eyebrow.

Marcus put his metaphorical foot down. "No." He said firmly. "There is no chance in hell that I am going to take you two, or anyone else for that matter, to my island. It's _my_ place. I don't want to have to deal with anyone there."

Nixie shrugged, but Marcus got the feeling that the matter was far from settled. He walked over to the cave entrance and peeked outside. He instantly recognized the familiar cliffs that hung above the Moon Pool and realized he was on Mako. "So how are you planning on getting back?" Nixie asked innocently. "It took me awhile to drag you here, you know, because of how much you suck at swimming."

"I've gotten pretty good at that invisibility spell." Marcus said, not concerned in the slightest. "And I can hold it for a while longer at night. So I should be able to swim back while invisible."

"Have you ever tried swimming while invisible?" Lyla asked. "It's not as easy as it looks, not even for a real mermaid. It takes a long time to get that sort of control of magic."

"I'll manage, alright?" Marcus snapped. He managed his way out of the cave and down to the beach, not bothering to look if he was followed. He looked over the ocean and flexed his arms and shoulders experimentally, preparing them for the swim to come. Taking a deep breath he strode forward confidently and stepped into the water. He felt the familiar sensation overtake his legs and right before they transformed he rendered himself invisible.

He was glad that he was invisible when he pitched forward and face-planted into the shallow water, his mouth filling with salt water and sand. He spit out the sand and began to drag himself forward, his tail providing much more of a hassle than he was accustomed to. When he was fully underwater, he kicked with his tail and gave one final pull with his hands. He smiled at the small triumph until he realized that he was no longer invisible. He quickly brought the spell back up and understood exactly what Lyla had meant. Since he was unfamiliar with his merman body he used a significant amount of concentration to swim. Holding a spell and swimming simultaneously would prove to be quite the challenge, to say the least. A flash of bronze to his left and then to his right spun his head around as he tried to follow both movements. Lyla and Nixie stared at the general area where he was, though he knew he was still invisible. Nixie raised her hands in a silent question: _Sure you don't want our help?_

Marcus returned to the visible spectrum and swallowed his pride, which for him was extremely painful. He nodded in mute acceptance of the offer. Nixie and Lyla extended their hands, Moon Rings glowing bright, and he watched his hands disappear. Lyla began to swim away and gestured back to her tail and then to her eyes. _Watch me._

Marcus did just that, silently marveling at the ease at which she moved through the water. Her tail seemed to be an extension of her body. _Which it is, you moron._ Marcus mentally berated himself. _She's a mermaid and you are a merman. Whatever she can do with a tail you can too. I think. On second thought I'm taking that back._ He shivered unintentionally and tried to mimic Lyla's easy movements.

Very quickly, Marcus realized how difficult this night was going to be.


	25. Mistakes

"You made a lot of progress tonight." Lyla told Marcus earnestly as they dried off their tails on the mainland's beach. "You are moving much better through the water."

"He did alright." Nixie shrugged. "For a land boy."

Marcus did not like Nixie very much. At first he had thought that there were numerous similarities between her personality and Ondina's, but the more that he spoke with her he realized that she was more like him. "Thanks." Marcus told Lyla. "Tonight really did help."

"If you want, we could start doing this more often." Lyla offered. "With a little more practice you should even be able to keep up with us."

"Thanks," Marcus smiled. "But I'll pass. Like I said, I have that time in the Caribbean to get to…" He paused when he saw the look of wistfulness on Lyla's face again and heaved a great sigh.

"I understand." Lyla said, though her disappointment was obvious.

"Come on Lyla," Nixie turned away from Marcus and headed back into the surf. "He's not worth the breath."

Marcus rolled his eyes but he chuckled softly. "Alright, alright," He relented. "Might as well. You want to go to the Caribbean with me?"

"Of course!" Lyla beamed. "I'll tell the others."

Marcus's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Others?" He repeated. "And what are you going to tell them?"

"Well, you are going to take everyone with us, aren't you?" Lyla asked, one eyebrow raised.

"You know, I've heard of people jumping to conclusions. But this? This is pole vaulting past an entire conversation. Why would I bring the others? The entire point of me going is to work on my merman powers." Marcus frowned at Lyla, now regretting his offer.

He was just about to rescind his offer when Nixie spoke up. "You know, you won't get another opportunity like this." She told him. "If you keep your secret, eventually the others will figure it out. They aren't stupid. If they figure it out on their own, or if you slip up, they won't ever really trust you again. Not really."

"So what, you think I should invite everyone along and then show them my tail when I get there?" Marcus asked. He paused as he reconsidered his words. "No innuendo intended."

"Absolutely." Lyla nodded. "If you tell them on your own terms they will trust you a lot more. Besides, it will be good to be away from the pod when you tell them. Trust me."

"Give me some time to think about it." Marcus said, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "I'll let you know tomorrow, okay?"

"Don't take too long." Nixie advised. "Or I might tell them myself."

"You wouldn't." Marcus narrowed his eyes. The look that Nixie sent him told him how wrong he was. "Or… you would. You wouldn't even care, would you?"

"You're a land boy." Nixie said simply. "Just because you have a tail now doesn't change that. If I think it would be best if the others know your secret, I will tell them. It's as simple as that."

Marcus left without another word. There was nothing else to say, both Nixie and Lyla had made their position on the matter very clear. He jammed his hands into his pocket, absentmindedly fascinated that his clothes remained dry despite his time in the water. The walk to his house was quiet, but Marcus barely noticed. He ran over Nixie's threat in his head over and over, considering every possible aspect of her words. He unlocked his door and made his way into his room, collapsing onto his bed.

He fell asleep with the choices he had to make still on his mind, circling around his head. He had the same dream about Ondina that night, awaking only when the dream had ended exactly like it had before. He sat bolt upright and instantly recognized that he had been dreaming. The sun peeked in through the curtains and a banging sound was coming from the front door. Marcus rolled out of bed and padded quietly to the door, running a hand through his hair and rubbing his eyes. The banging was incessant up until he threw open the door with every intention of reading his guest the riot act. He stopped short when he saw Ondina looking back at him, her hand mid-knock. "Hi." She said. "Did I wake you up?"

Marcus thought back to his dream and suppressed a shiver he could not explain. "Yes, you did." He said irritably. "But I'm up now, so what do you want?"

"Well, I had nothing to do today." Ondina told him. "So I thought I would see if you would want to go for a swim?"

Nixie's warning echoed in his ears and Marcus was instantly wide awake. "With a mermaid?" He repeated, his voice skeptical. "I doubt I would be able to keep up."

"It's fine." Ondina said dismissively. "We won't be going that far. I'm going to the reef and since none of the others are free, I thought I would ask to see if you wanted to go."

Marcus did very much want to go, the reef was very far up on the list of places he still wanted to explore. He had glimpsed it the night before with Nixie and Lyla, but that passing glance was not nearly enough to satisfy his curiosity. He thought over the problem for a few moments before coming to a decision. "I have to go see Rita today." He told her. "It's about school. Once I'm done talking with her, if I'm not too tired I would be happy to go with you."

"Great." Ondina said. "By the way, this isn't a date or anything. I just needed company and underwater I don't have to deal with you talking."

"Oh please," Marcus rolled his eyes. "I can be an asshole at all times. Words just make it easier. Now get going."

Ondina waved goodbye and headed off down the street, or at least that's how Marcus interpreted the gesture that she sent his way before departing. He waited until she rounded the corner before grabbing his phone and calling Rita. She didn't answer on the first call, nor the second. Marcus continued calling her until she finally answered. "Hello?" Rita's voice was equal parts tired and angry.

"It's Marcus. I have a question, and depending on how you answer that, I need a favor." He told her.

"Do you realize what time it is?" Rita demanded. "I was asleep."

"Yeah, well, karma." Marcus told her. "Ondina woke me up and she's under your tutelage. This is justice. Just answer my question if you can."

Rita's sigh crackled through the phone. "What is it? Did they figure out your secret?"

"No, and that's the problem." Marcus said. "I need to know if there's any way you can suppress me growing a tail for just a few hours."

"I don't think so." Rita frowned. "When Zach was still not aware of his heritage he was able to go into water without growing a tail."

"Heritage? What?" Marcus asked, confused. "Nevermind. I'll ask later. So you can't do whatever Zach had done to him?"

"I would be too afraid to try." Rita said. He could tell that she was awake now. "The mermaid who put the spell on Zach was extremely powerful and talented. What she did was almost unheard of. Even if I knew _how_ she cast the spell, replicating it would be risky at best and deadly at worst."

Marcus chewed his lip for a long moment. "Alright. Thanks." He told her. "I'll think of something."

"What's this about?" Rita demanded just as Marcus went to hang up. "Marcus, if you are planning something I have to advise you against it. You aren't nearly ready to perform _any_ spell by yourself, let alone one as advanced as this."

"Don't worry." Marcus told her, his voice dripping false sincerity. "I'm not going to try anything."

"Marcus-!" Rita's warning was cut off as Marcus ended the call.

Almost immediately his phone began to trill gently as Rita called him back. Marcus turned off his phone and tossed it onto his couch, cracking his neck as he brought his hands up in front of him. He paused only briefly to consider the wisdom of his course, but he quickly shrugged off the momentary indecision. _If this works it will make things a whole lot easier._ He told himself.

A glass of water he had left on the counter began to rise into the air when Marcus raised his arm, focusing on the glass. He pulled it through the air until it was directly overhead. With a quick flip of his wrist he emptied the contents of the glass over his head. He felt he familiar sensation spread through his body as he involuntarily began to transform into a merman. He went to work immediately, his hands extending to his legs. He wasn't sure of the specifics of magic, but from what he had gathered from Rita it had a lot to do with conjuring a mental image of exactly what you wanted the magic to do. He did just that here, gritting his teeth savagely as he fought to push back the tail from forming. A sheen of sweat broke out on his forehead and Marcus felt his legs begin to involuntarily tremble. This continued for a full minute as he battled magic against magic.

But it was for naught. A slow ripple traveled up his legs and his tail appeared slowly, despite his best efforts. Marcus fell onto the floor and cursed, punching the wooden floor. Immediately regretting his decision, he grabbed a towel and began to furiously dry off his tail. When he managed to get rid of all of the water he waited for his tail to disappear. That was when he noticed a change in his tail. Every previous time he had grown a tail it was blue. This time his tail was silver.

"Uh oh…" Marcus said. His tail was dry, well and truly. His scales rubbed uncomfortably against the floor and the membrane of the end of his tail seemed to stick to the wood. "I might have made a mistake…"


	26. Trouble Call

When his door flew open Marcus instinctively hid himself with magic. He waited silently there on the floor, wondering who would be barging into his house like this. He got his answer when Rita came striding furiously into his living room. Marcus breathed a sigh of relief and dropped the cloaking spell, staring up at the principal. "So." He said conversationally. "I _might_ have had a lapse in judgement."

Rita stared down at him imposingly before shaking her head and pulling out her Moon Ring and slipping it over her finger. "I warned you." She reminded him. "Magic is not something to take lightly. We will speak more on this later, but for now let's see if we can fix you. Your tail is dry, correct?"

Marcus took it to be a good sign that she had not remarked on his tail's unusual color. "Yeah, I dried it off."

Rita stooped down to examine his tail more curiously, running a hand over his scales. Marcus winced as the dry scales tried to catch against her skin. Dry scales were by far one of the most annoying feelings he had ever experienced. "I believe I might have an idea." Rita said. "When the girls first came on land, they had to use a spell to get their legs. I think that if you use a similar spell you should get your legs back."

"Sweet." Marcus said. "How do I do it?"

"You don't." Rita said coolly. "I do. I think that you have caused enough damage with your magic." Her Moon Ring glowed bright and alternating series of hot and cold ran up and down Marcus's tail.

Marcus squirmed and fought the urge to itch at his scales. The alternating temperatures lasted for a few minutes as Rita continued her work, but eventually they stopped. Marcus's legs reappeared as suddenly as his tail would have if he had been in water, something he was very glad for. He sprang to his feet and hopped from one foot to another, testing his legs. "You are a lifesaver." He told Rita, turning to look at her. The smile on his face faltered as he registered the disapproving look that she directed at him. "Oh. I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

"Do you have _any_ idea what could have happened if I had not been here?" Rita demanded, throwing up her arms angrily. "What could have happened if someone else came looking for you? What was your plan if I hadn't shown up? Use _more_ magic and risk advancing your situation? Or were you planning on crawling to the water behind your house and trying to find your way to the underwater entrance to my grotto?"

"Well, when you put it like _that…_ " Marcus muttered.

"Marcus, doing things like this make me question my trust in your ability to keep our secret." Rita told him sternly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Marcus said, immediately defensive. "Everyone makes mistakes. The others must have made mistakes too! I can't be the only one to have screwed up!"

"You're right, you weren't." Rita said fairly, crossing her arms. "And I'm afraid that you won't be the last either. But the difference between you and the others is that they have each other to rely on. You are very much alone in that regard. Marcus, you are both young and brand new to this world you have managed to squeeze your way into. That in itself is never a good combination."

Marcus stood there silently, listening to every word that she was telling him and not being able to find a single excuse or argument. Rita sighed and regarded him thoughtfully. "I think it's time you tell the others." Rita told him softly. "I let you have your time to yourself to figure out your powers, but now I think it would be best if we brought the others in on your secret."

Marcus racked his brain for an argument, but what Nixie told him the night before resurfaced in his brain. He now had three mermaids who knew his secret and were threatening to unveil it to the others. He knew that if they found out by any other source than his own mouth then it would only look bad on him. "Fine." Marcus said, defeat in every letter. "My parents have an island in the Caribbean, I was going to go there for the holiday next week and work on the whole merman thing. Nixie and Lyla are already going, I'll bring the others along too. I'll tell them there. Would that be fair?"

Rita pursed her lips before nodding. "I should think so." She said. "When would we be leaving?"

"We?" Marcus repeated, catching the inclusion. "You're going too?"

"Of course." Rita nodded. "As your teacher, I can't allow that many young people to be out on their own. Besides, I am almost certain that Zach and Evie's parents will want to know who is escorting this little trip."

"No one ever escorts me." Marcus frowned. "I always go there by myself."

"Be that as it may, not everyone has quite the same thought process that your parents do regarding supervision." Rita told him.

"Are you sure that you don't just want to go the Caribbean?" Marcus asked suspiciously. "Because I think that you might just want to go and the supervision thing is just a bogus reason."

"We always could tell the others today." Rita offered.

Trapped, Marcus sighed and kicked viciously at his floor. "Mermaids." He said, making the word sound like a curse. "All of you."

Rita bade him farewell and left him to his thoughts. Marcus fell onto his couch and put his head into his hands. He reached into his pocket and withdrew his cellphone, quickly dialing up Zach's number. He answered on the second ring. "What's up Marcus?" He asked good-naturedly.

"I'm going to the Caribbean next week on my family's private island. I'm inviting everyone. Do you want to go?" Marcus cut straight to the point.

"U-uh, yeah sure." Zach said, clearly caught off guard by Marcus's casual way of asking. "I'd have to ask my parents first though."

"Rita is chaperoning the trip apparently." Marcus told him. "Apparently that's a big deal, so let them know that. And tell the others too if you don't mind. Might as well invite all of 'em."

"Sounds great mate!" Zach said, clearly ecstatic about the idea. "Cam, Carly, and David too?"

Marcus thought for a moment back to the size of his plane and frowned. "Yeah, go ahead." He told him. "Invite Chris too if you want. We should have plenty of room."

"Great man, I'll let them know." Zach promised. "What are you up to today?"

"Oh you know-." Marcus ended the call and stowed the phone back into his pocket. He was in no mood to talk to the others right now. His failed attempt at magic had left a sour taste in his mouth and he still had to deal with the whole Ondina issue.

His phone trilled gently in his pocket and he reached for it without opening his eyes. "What do you want Zach?" He asked irritably.

"Who's Zach?" The soft voice of his mother asked curiously. "A friend of yours?"

Marcus's eyes snapped open and he looked at the caller ID on his phone. His mother's number flashed on the phone and he put the phone back to his ear. "Yeah, a friend." He said dismissively, ignoring the happy feeling in his stomach that came from speaking to his mother. "How are you mom?"

"Doing well, thanks." She laughed in the phone and a smile broke out on Marcus's face. "You always sound so formal. How is the new school?"

"It's… I am thoroughly enjoying it." Marcus said. "I've even made a few new acquaintances. If you ever manage to find time to visit…." He let the sentence hanging in the air, like bait on a fish hook.

His mother was wise to his trick however and sighed disappointedly. "I wish I could be there tomorrow." She told him. "But you know how busy your father and I are. I'll try to make time to come visit you soon, but I make no promises."

 _That's what you said six months ago too._ Marcus thought. "That's fine. I understand your schedule is somewhat hectic. What are you and Father up to right now?"

"We are actually over the Pacific Ocean." His mother told him. "We're currently touring some of our branch companies."

"That sounds…. enjoyable." Marcus said, his voice falsely positive. "By the way, I never thanked you for the credit card you sent me."

"I was meaning to ask you about that." His mother told him, suddenly stern. "I checked your statement and it told me that you have barely spent anything other than what you spent on food. Marcus, that credit card is there so that you can enjoy yourself. I know you are very fiscally responsible, but please enjoy yourself. Who knows how long you will be there?"

"I was actually meaning to speak to you on that, Mother." Marcus told her, straight business now. "I know that you and Father prefer it if I keep moving around, but I am enjoying my time here. I think that I will ride out the remainder of my time in school here."

"Marcus," His mother said chidingly. "You know that we won't be able to visit you early as often as we do if you stay there. We don't have any investments tied to that part of Australia. Making a trip there just to see you would not be time well spent."

"Mother, it's been two years since I've seen you or Father." Marcus told her. "Besides, switching schools so much is very impractical to my education. It would be smarter if I stayed in one spot for the time being. Once I graduate, you can choose to send me wherever you want for college. Would that be a fair exchange?" It had to be very give and take with his parents, and it always made Marcus feel like a negotiator whenever he spoke to them.

His mother was quiet for a long moment as she considered the offer. "You have a deal." She said after the pause. "I know some lovely colleges in Europe, and studying abroad would be absolutely marvelous."

"I look forward to it." Marcus told her. He wasn't actually, but he knew that this conversation would be almost instantly forgotten by his mother in favor of some business deal.

"It has been lovely speaking with you Marcus, but I have to go now. I have a call on the other line I must take. I love you son, have a wonderful day." She hung up without another word.

Marcus slowly lowered the phone from his ear and stared down at the floor. He let the phone drop onto the floor and left it there. He got up from the couch and exited his house, not bothering to lock it behind him. He couldn't tell whether he was sad or angry at his mother, and he decided that it was a little of both. Marcus knew where he wanted to go, but how he would get there made him hesitate. In the end he decided on the safest route, Arthur's boat. He gunned the outboard out of the harbor and made his way for Mako. He anchored the boat to the normal driftwood stump and made a beeline for the cliffs above the Moon Pool.

He intentionally used a different path up the cliffs this time, one he thought was more difficult. Indeed when he pulled himself over the edge his muscles were screaming in protest of their rough treatment. Marcus wiped his brow and tossed the rope that he had left on top of the rocks into the cave. He rappelled down the rope and into the cave, touching down lightly to the floor and then sinking down to a sitting position. He rested his back against the cold stone and gazed over the Moon Pool.

He couldn't have been there for more than an hour, but he enjoyed every second of the solitude. However, it seemed like on Mako such peace could never last. A familiar blonde mermaid appeared in his field of vision and immediately noticed him.

"I thought you said to meet you at the café?" Ondina asked, clearly annoyed at the misinformation.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Marcus muttered. "Long story. Look, I don't really feel like swimming today. It's not even noon and it has already been a really long day."

"That's fine." Ondina pulled herself onto the stone, her tail smacking the water. She scooted backwards until she was fully out of the water and then set to drying her tail. Marcus watched her with a passing interest for just a moment before he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the rocks. He only opened his eyes when he felt something brush his arm. He opened one eye and saw Ondina looking at him with a small degree of concern. "What's wrong?" Ondina asked, scooting over to sit next to him.

"Oh nothing." Marcus said. "Just some personal stuff. I'm fine."

"So we're going to the Caribbean?" Ondina asked. "I love it there."

"Seems to be the general consensus." Marcus muttered. "Yeah, we leave next week. Look, if you don't mind I don't really feel like talking."

"That's fine." Ondina said, closing her eyes and scooted close to him before resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm tired anyways."

Marcus stared down at her for a long time, uncertain how he had been caught in this situation. Eventually he sighed to himself and closed his own eyes. The last thought that he had before he drifted off to sleep was that Ondina smelled a lot like the sea. _Makes sense._ He murmured to himself.


	27. Siren Lesson

Marcus had expected the upcoming trip to the Caribbean to pose certain difficulties, but the one he faced at that moment was not one he would have foreseen. "What do you mean you want to swim to the island?" He demanded, frowning thoughtfully at Ondina. "We're flying. It will get us there much faster."

" _You_ can fly." Ondina told him, shrugging carelessly. "But _I_ am swimming. I'll just leave a little bit earlier than you and get there around the same time."

They were in Rita's hidden underground chamber awaiting their teacher, several days after Ondina and Marcus had fallen asleep in the Moon Pool chamber. "That defeats the entire purpose of me even taking the jet!" Marcus argued. "Everyone but Cam, David, Carly, and Chris can swim there it's true, but that would be messed up to leave them."

"You can't swim as fast as us either." Ondina reminded him.

Marcus felt his pulse jump at his slip-up but he remained calm. "I thought it was assumed that I was included in that since _I'm_ the one who owns the jet." He gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes. "Look, it would be a whole lot easier if we all just went as a group."

"I'm not flying." Ondina told him simply.

They had been arguing for several minutes now and Marcus's patience was wearing thin. "Why do you have to be _so damn difficult_?" He demanded exasperatedly. "If you swim there you might not even find the island."

"Mermaids are masters of guiding ourselves by the stars." Ondina raised her chin superiorly. "Just give me the star coordinates and I'll get there just fine."

Marcus's mouth was agape and his brow was furrowed in disbelief. "Do I look like I know how to use celestial navigation?" He asked. "Because if I do, please, let me disillusion you to that idea right now because I have no clue."

"Figures." Ondina shrugged. "Typical land boy."

"Mermaids." Marcus said the word like a curse.

"Hey." Evie protested lightly from where she sat on the couch next to Zach. "I take personal offense to that."

"Good." Marcus said moodily, sliding down the wall and coming to a sitting position. "Where's Rita at anyways?"

Not fifteen seconds later the older mermaid came striding down the steps, her arms laden with a large stack of papers. "Sorry about the wait, but I had to find these. I put them in my study not too long ago and I didn't remember where I had left them."

"What in the world are these?" Marcus asked, getting to his feet and moving closer to examine the papers. They were old, very old, that much he could tell from a single glance. He frowned at the writing when he noticed that it was not in English. The others gathered around as well while Rita stepped back and watched them inspect the old papers.

"What are these?" Serena asked curiously, picking up one page and holding it up to the light. "I don't recognize the language."

"It's Spanish." Marcus muttered. Fortunately, many of his parents' companies were located in South America and Central America. He had picked up a healthy handle on the language simple by proxy. "But… I don't recognize a lot of these words. There are a lot of dialects in Spanish." He added the last slightly defensively.

"I'm surprised you recognized this at all Marcus." Rita told him, taking back the papers from her students. "These are some of the first records that sailors had with mermaid encounters."

"What did they write about?" Mimi asked, sitting down on the stone couch.

"They detailed people who seemed to be part fish and part woman. They went on to tell of how their songs could lure men out of their ships and into their waiting arms." Rita set the papers down and clasped her hands in front of her as she faced her students. "Today's lesson is… unique. At some point all of you have come across the Siren Song. The mermaids who reside in the Caribbean still occasionally honor their past and use the song to lure people from their ships. If we are going to go there, you need to build up a resistance to the song. It would not do if you went chasing off a random voice in the night." Marcus swore that he saw her gaze flicker over to him for just an instant.

"So, you want us to listen to the song and resist it?" Zach surmised. He glanced over to Mimi and chuckled. "Guess you are ahead of the game."

"It won't affect me." Mimi explained when Marcus looked at her for an answer. "I was raised in the Northern Pod. I grew up around the Siren Song."

"Which is why I want you to be the one to sing for us." Rita told her. "At least at first. Once the others become accustomed to the song they will take their turn."

"What about him?" Ondina asked, nodding to Marcus. "I don't want him following me around like a lost puppy."

"Oh please." Marcus snorted and smirked. "It would have to be a spell to make me follow _you_ around. I'd rather follow Zach."

"Hey." Zach protested. "What did I do?"

As the three began to bicker Mimi and Serena sidled over to Evie and the three put their heads together. "You know, I can never tell with those two." Mimi told them. "I'm not sure if they like each other or actually can't stand each other."

"I think they like each other." Evie said, though it was clear she was uncertain.

"They don't act like they like each other." Serena added. "They act like they just want to get on each other's nerves all the time."

Rita, who had been listening closely to both conversations, decided to put in her thoughts. "I think that it is not an issue of liking or even disliking." She told them quietly. "I don't think that even they know if they like each other. Right now they are just enjoying causing each other as much trouble as they can. Just look at them. When is the last time you have seen Ondina this happy?"

They turned to look at the blonde haired mermaid and they saw the truth in Rita's words. She was arguing with Marcus, but both of them were clearly trying not to smile. Zach had seemingly abstained from the argument and was now standing slightly off to the side by himself. He caught their eye and shook his head wondrously.

Marcus and Ondina were now glaring at one another. He had crossed his arms and she had her hands on her hips. "Let me go first." Ondina told Rita. "I've heard the song before. It shouldn't affect me. I actually might like the idea of him having to be nice to me for a little while."

"Well come on then." Marcus rose to the challenge immediately.

Rita sighed and shook her head. "This is going to be a long night, isn't it?"

To say that it was a long night was an understatement in the most extreme sense of the word. It wasn't so much as a lesson as a competition as Ondina and Marcus constantly competed to see who could resist the song's hold first. This culminated when Mimi simply refused to sing anymore claiming that her throat hurt.

"Yes, well, that was certainly productive." Rita said, choosing to look at the positive aspect of the lesson rather than the negative. "I feel as though some of you will be ready in the off chance that we encounter any Caribbean mermaids. You are free to go."

Evie and Zach required no further prompting, rushing to the pool of water and diving in simultaneously. Serena and Mimi were only a few steps behind leaving Rita, Ondina, and Marcus in the grotto. Marcus looked at the water longingly for a long moment before heading for the stairs. "Well, are you going to go swimming with me tonight?" Ondina asked him before he had ascended the first step.

Marcus rolled his eyes and turned a smirk back on the blonde. "What, so you can drown me?" He asked. "I wouldn't make it out of the tunnel before I drowned."

"I wouldn't let you drown." Ondina scoffed. "It's not that far. Besides, it would be a good chance for you to find out something you asked me once."

Marcus frowned, not following her train of thought. "What did I ask you?" He inquired.

Ondina slunk forward slowly and placed a hand on his chest. Marcus stared down at her, his blood thundering in his ears as he struggled to maintain his disdainful smirk. Ondina got on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear, "Whether a mermaid's kiss can save someone from drowning."

Marcus's head snapped back and at the same time Ondina shoved him in the chest. He fell back onto the stairs with a muffled cry of pain. Ondina's eyes twinkled at him as she sashayed away and dove into the water. Marcus was on his feet and after her in an instant. Only his instinct for self-preservation let him skid to a halt right at the water's edge. The edges of his shoes peeked over the stone and he breathed a heavy sigh filled with both regret and relief. He had just caught his balance when he felt an invisible force push him forward. He flailed his arms to regain his balance, but it was to no avail. He crashed into the water an instant later and into the waiting arms of Ondina.

Above the water, Rita's Moon Ring slowly faded from its blue glow. She smiled slightly at the water sloshing around the pool and chuckled. "Sometime all they need is a little push." She said to no one in particular.

 **As always, your continued reviews are amazing in every way shape and form. Sorry about the late update, you would not believe how many times I have rewritten this chapter. I look forward to your thoughts. As always, all of you are the best. -Hallowed**


	28. Not So Secret

Marcus's mind went into overdrive as he racked his brain for ways out of the situation he now found himself in. In less than a few seconds dozens of possible ways to escape the situation ran through his mind, each as unfeasible as the last.

 _Swim out of the cave._

 _Jump back into Rita's grotto and get out of the water._

 _Turn invisible. Explain everything later._

 _Turn invisible. Explain nothing later._

 _Try to keep my tail from-_ The thought was left unfinished when Ondina's lips pressed against his and he felt air flow into his lungs.

It wasn't a kiss, not really. But the simple intimacy of the action sent a shiver running down his spine. He felt the sensation of his legs preparing to transform run through his legs and he reluctantly ended the embrace. He stared at Ondina under the water, his eyes distant. She looked at him curiously at first, and then with surprise once Marcus felt his tail emerge. He smiled slightly and raised his hands apologetically. They hung in the water, staring at one another for a very long time. Ondina's eyes were conflicted, Marcus could at least tell that much. Eventually, she turned away and slowly swam out of the cave. Marcus watched her go and did his best to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. He waited until her bronze tail disappeared around the corner before he swam up and pulled himself out of the pool of water. He quietly dried off his tail, which curiously was still silver, and got to his feet. He felt Rita's eyes on him as he left the underground sanctuary, but he said nothing. There was nothing to say. He wasn't angry at her, not in the least. Marcus was grateful in truth. She had done what she thought was best, and he could not hold that against her no matter how much he might have wanted to.

Night had fallen outside, but Marcus barely noticed. A pit had formed in his stomach, one such as he had never felt before. He had the terrible feeling that he might have lost something that he didn't even realize he had. He breathed in the crisp night air and stared up at the sky, stumbling slightly as his feet suddenly sunk into sand. He glanced down and saw the beach stretched out before him, the sand illuminated by the moonlight. But what caught his attention was the blonde hair of Ondina far in the distance.

He blinked twice and frowned. He made his way across the beach until they were ten feet apart. "Didn't expect you to come here." Marcus admitted. "Figured you would be finding the others and telling them."

"How long?" Ondina asked, ignoring the accusation. "How long have you been a merman?"

"A little longer than a week." Marcus said honestly. "The day that I find out that you were a mermaid I found out I was a merman. About an hour later actually. Look, Ondina, I…" He searched for something to say but his brain failed to give him a reasonable explanation.

She waited for him to offer some sort of explanation, but when none were forthcoming she turned her head to stare out over the water. "Come on." She told him decisively. She didn't wait for a response, opting to trot off into the waves and dive into the surf.

She appeared several yards off shore, bobbing with the waves. Marcus took a deep breath and then charged after her, his body arcing over a wave as he dove into the water. It felt odd, deliberately exposing his tail after he had hidden it from everyone for so long. But it also felt as though a weight he had not been aware of had been lifted from his shoulders. He resurfaced much closer to Ondina than he originally intended to, but she didn't seem to particularly mind. She gestured for him to follow her and then dove beneath the water. The membrane of her tail slapped the water and showered Marcus in water, which under the circumstances he chose to let pass. He followed after her, grateful that she had chosen not to speed off and leave him to play catch-up. She was in fact just a few feet beneath the surface. When she saw that he was following she swam deeper until her belly was nearly skimming the sea floor. Marcus swam just as deep, though he was not nearly as half as graceful as she was. He tried to remember the lessons that Nixie and Lyla had given him, resisting the urge to swim using his arms. He was fairly certain that looking ridiculous while swimming, while surely comical, would not be beneficial for his position with Ondina. But she didn't look back at him. She just kept swimming across the sea floor, not even checking to see if he was still following.

 _I probably deserve this._ Marcus reflected. Ondina stopped suddenly and turned back to Marcus. She pointed to an underwater cave and then back at herself. She waved her hand in front of her face and she disappeared. She reappeared and then pointed to Marcus. Taking the hint, he cloaked himself and followed after her when she entered the cave. The cave took them to the Moon Pool and Marcus made a mental note of where the cave was located.

When Marcus entered the cave it was empty, save for Ondina who was leaning against the stone that lined the pool. Marcus treaded water in the middle of the cave, uncertain of how to begin his explanation. Ondina saved him the trouble. "Why didn't you tell anyone?" She asked evenly.

"Because I wanted to figure this out for myself. Because I wasn't certain you would believe that I didn't mean to have this happen. And because I wanted you to trust me." Marcus slapped his palms against the water. "It's not much of an explanation, but it's the truth. When I heard what happened with Erik and the Merman Chamber and you, I didn't want to make things harder on you than they already were. That's why this whole Caribbean thing came about. I was going to tell you there because I thought it would be easier on all of you."

"You couldn't have just told us when it happened?" Ondina asked. Her voice was still neutral, but Marcus wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Look, when I first figured it out I was still kind of wary of you guys. I mean, you tried to poison me." Marcus ran a hand down the side of his face in exasperation. "Listen, Ondina, whatever you may think of me now, just know that I have always been myself around you. I-I-I haven't tried to deceive you or anything like that."

"Well, _I_ believe him." Zach's voice came from Marcus's left.

"Me too." Mimi agreed.

"It's kind of weird not hearing him be sarcastic." Evie added.

"I guess he can be nice when he chooses to." Serena said thoughtfully.

Marcus's mouth hung open in mute shock as the four of them revealed themselves. They were on either side of Ondina, watching him with amused smiles. Ondina had dropped her façade and was now grinning at him.

Marcus's mouth snapped shut and he glared at all of them. He opened his mouth to say something to the tune of how they fooled him, but he cut he realized that this would be a case of the pot calling the kettle black. He decided to make a statement rather than an accusation. "You knew." He told them.

"Pretty much since you did." Zach admitted. "We've been taking turns keeping an eye on you."

"We were wondering when you were going to tell us." Evie told him. "We were actually talking about faking an accident and getting water on you."

"You couldn't have just told me you knew?" Marcus scowled.

"You couldn't have just told us you had a tail?" Ondina shot back.

Marcus opened his mouth, but his brain failed to supply him with a comeback. "Touché." He said lamely. "So that's why you wanted me to come to Rita's magic lessons." He realized, looking to Evie accusingly.

"No, that was just a bonus." Evie corrected. "You are actually good for Ondina."

"That's debatable." Ondina scoffed.

"So what now?" Marcus asked, glaring at Ondina.

"Well, when the pod gets back I guess we will introduce you." Serena told him. "It's best if we get that over soon. They'll want to talk to you."

"Now, see, I feel like I'm being brought home to meet the parents on that one." Marcus told them. Only Evie and Zach seemed to get his reference, the others simply gazed at him blankly.

"You'll be fine." Zach told him. "You kept the secret… sort of. Just try not to get on Veridia's bad side. She doesn't have a very high tolerance for nonsense. Or mermen."

"I'm still annoyed that you knew." Marcus fumed. "Do you realize how hard I tried to keep this a secret?"

"We tried to give you an out." Mimi told him, not at all sympathetic. "Why do you think Ondina asked you to go swimming so much?"

"My charming personality?" Marcus guessed.

Ondina chuckled. "Not hardly." She told him. "Come on, let's go back to the mainland. That is, if you can keep up with that ridiculous swimming method."

 _Nixie_. Marcus silently cursed as the others erupted into laughter. He dove underneath the water and swam out of the Moon Pool. Ondina was waiting for him at the exit, smiling slightly. She winked at Marcus before speeding away towards the island. Marcus growled at the display of superior swimming abilities and followed after her as fast as he could. Her bubble trail was the only sign of her that he could see, so he chose to follow that. When he was finally at the mainland he dragged himself onto the shore and collapsed onto his back. He was breathing hard and his lungs, or whatever mermen had, felt like they were on fire. When he opened his eyes Ondina was staring down at him, clearly trying hard not to laugh.

Marcus sat up and set to drying off his tail. Ondina assisted him, her ring glowing bright, and in no time at all he was back on his legs. Marcus shoved his hands into his pockets and stared down at the blonde mermaid, uncertain about where things stood with them. "So-." He was about to make a snide remark about how she had played him for a fool. But she stepped forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. She had stepped back again before Marcus could react at all.

"That never happened." She told him sternly.

"Noted." Marcus answered.

"If you tell the others, I will turn you into a goldfish." She threatened.

"Can you really do that?" Marcus wondered.

"It probably won't ever happen again." She informed him.

Marcus smiled slyly at her and shrugged his shoulders. "Challenge accepted."

She grinned wickedly at him and then made a beeline for the ocean. The last he saw of her that night was a bronze tail slipping under the sea.


	29. Sick?

Friday morning was upon Marcus before he was truly ready for it. True, the stressful part of his trip was now null and void, but at the same time he knew he had some explaining to do when they arrived at the island. His parent's lucrative wealth always made him uncomfortable when he was forced to show it off. "At least they'll have plenty of rooms." Marcus muttered. He pulled out his cell phone and scrolled through the contacts list, selecting one he had only used a few times before. He let the phone dial and put it to his ear. The phone had rung only once when a man answered.

"Ah, Master Marcus." A cheerful voice said. "I was wondering when you would be calling."

"How's it going Gordon?" Marcus said, wincing at the title before his name. "And come on, it's just Marcus. I've told you that like a dozen times."

"Of course Master Marcus." Gordon said, his voice still irritatingly cheerful.

"Is the jet ready to go?" Marcus pulled a long face at the continued use of the title. "We're going to be there in a few hours."

"Ready and standing by sir." Gordon informed him. "How many people will I be transporting today?"

"Eleven." Marcus said after a moment, counting them quickly in his head. "Plus whatever luggage they are bringing."

"We should have plenty of room then." Gordon told him. "I'll send the driver around to the address you specified to pick you up directly."

Marcus bade him farewell and hung up. He grabbed the small tan bag he had packed with the few things he wanted to bring with him. He locked the door behind him and took the time to bury the keys under the mulch of the potted plant next to his door. He trotted down his steps and turned down the street, hitching the bag up on his shoulder as he went.

He yawned as he walked, stretching hugely. As usual, Zach ran out of his house as he passed it by. Rather than the book bag he usually had, he had a large metal suitcase under one arm. He vaulted over the small stone border that lined his yard and skidded to a halt. "What's up?" Zach asked, out of breath. He extended a handle on his suitcase and began to pull it behind him as he walked.

"Not much." Marcus told him. "Hey, random thought, did you ever convince Ondina to fly?"

"I thought you did." Zach said, frowning at him.

"I don't know if you realized this, but I am not capable of convincing Ondina to do anything." Marcus told him. "In fact, she is more likely to do what opposite of what I ask her to do."

"True." Zach agreed. "But I thought that since you two are a couple and all…"

Marcus made a T with his hands, alarmed. "Whoa. Time out. Flag on the play." Marcus said quickly. "We aren't a couple."

"I thought you two kissed?" Zach asked, clearly confused. "Evie says you did."

"Where does this woman get her information?" Marcus demanded. "Seriously dude, your girlfriend is like some sort of detective."

"You have no idea." Zach said soberly. "Keeping the secret from her was a nightmare. She always knew when I was lying. We actually broke up over it for a little while."

"Speaking of which, how did Evie become a mermaid?" Marcus asked half-curiously and half-desperate to get away from the current conversation. "Did she fall into the Moon Pool too?"

"It's a long story." Zach told him delicately.

"Good thing we have a long plane ride in front of…" Marcus's voice trailed off as they pushed open the gate to Rita's house. Beside the door were a number of bags, all of which were bulging to their maximum capacity. "What the hell is this?" He asked Zach, grabbing one of the bags. He lifted it and whistled at its weight.

"Oh, Marcus, Zach," Rita said, appearing from within the house and setting another bag down beside the others. "Showing up right when the work is done are we?"

"It's the best time to show up." Marcus told her sincerely. "Where are the others?"

"Downstairs." Rita said. Marcus frowned as he detected a note of strain in her voice.

"Something wrong?" He asked curiously. Rita led the way through the door and to the entrance to the hidden chamber.

"In a manner of speaking, yes." Rita told him. "We have a slight problem."

"Is Ondina still arguing about the whole flying thing?" Marcus sighed as they descended the stairs. He heard the sounds of people talking, but they were not arguing. In fact they sounded rather worried.

Marcus paused at the foot of the stairs and Zach bumped into him with a muttered exclamation of surprise. Rita's chamber, which was normally pristine, was now covered in ice. "Doing some redecorating?" Marcus asked hopefully.

Unfortunately, Rita crushed said hope with a single word. "No."

Zach groaned and shook his head. He and Rita exchanged knowing looks and Marcus felt distinctly left out. "Who is it?" Zach asked hesitantly.

"Who is what?" Marcus demanded, not at all happy to be out of the loop.

"Mimi, and now Serena and Ondina are showing signs." Rita told him. "So be careful around them. The last thing we want is more people to catch it."

The girls were sitting on the stone couch, slightly further apart than they normally sat. Marcus's brow furrowed as he carefully stepped around a frozen spot on the floor. To his astonishment he saw that it was snowing in several spots around the grotto. "Going to go out on a limb here and say it isn't supposed to be snowing." Marcus said brightly.

"You're a genius." Ondina told him. Her voice was thick, and Marcus instantly saw the signs of a cold in her face. She was wrapped up in a blanket and her eyes seemed far more tired than they should have been even this early in the morning. "Really."

"Uh-oh." Marcus chuckled. "Someone's sick."

"It's not funny." Ondina growled as she got to her feet and faced him.

He grinned easily back at her and shrugged on shoulder. "I don't know, I think it's pretty funny." He told her. "I mean, come on, who ever heard of a mermaid getting sick?"

"We don't." Mimi said miserably. "At least, not usually. This isn't a normal cold that humans get. This has something to do with magic."

"That explains the winter wonderland." Marcus observed, glancing around the room at the snow and ice. "And you guys can't just magic yourselves better?"

"Oh, why didn't _I_ think of that?" Ondina said venomously. "Because we can't. It's dangerous to mix magic, let alone a magic illness."

"Sheesh, sorry." Marcus raised his hands as if warding off her words. "My bad. Anything I can do to help?"

"Actually, yes." Ondina told him. She opened her mouth to speak again, but instead of words she sneezed.

Marcus felt cold, overwhelming cold, and then he went blank. He came to a few minutes, shivering violently as his tail appeared. He was on the floor with Zach and Rita hunched over him, their hands extended. Glorious amounts of heat were spilling from their hands and Marcus hurriedly copied them. He wrapped his arms around his midsection as he sat up, water dripping from his hair and down his face. "What, the hell, just happened?" He demanded through chattering teeth.

"Ondina might have accidentally frozen you." Rita told him. "That's the problem with these magic colds, they have no control over their power right now. Or at least, very little control."

"Oh, great." Marcus muttered. He had heated his hands to the highest temperature his skin would allow and now ran them up and down his chest, midsection, and tail. "It's going to make this flight interesting. Snow and merpeople a few thousand feet in the air. Not to mention they have no control over their magic. What could possibly go wrong?"

"I told you, I'm not flying." Ondina told him. "Especially not now."

"Well what are you going to do? Swim?" Marcus asked skeptically. "They might question the _iceberg_ that shows up randomly in the middle of the Pacific."

"Actually, Marcus, I think it might be better if you went without the girls." Rita told him. "Ondina's right. Being that high with their powers like they are would be dangerous in a best-case scenario. I need to stay back and watch them at any rate."

"So those bags you had weren't for the trip." Marcus realized. "You were moving things out of here so the girls don't damage them."

Rita nodded. "Exactly. It would be bad if they caused a chain reaction with some of the magical items I keep down here."

"So you're going to stay and keep an eye on them, right?" Marcus repeated. "I'll be right back."

He trotted up the stairs and disappeared for a few minutes. He returned with his phone in his hand and a satisfied look on his face. "What was that about?" Zach inquired, sitting beside Evie. "By the way, listen mate, I'm going to stay behind and look after Evie. Just in case she gets sick."

"That's fine." Marcus told him, stowing his phone back in his pocket. "I just cancelled the trip. Actually I rescheduled it for the next holiday, but that's beside the point."

"Marcus, that's not fair to you." Rita told him, but she was smiling. "Or the others."

"Well, I imagine that Chris is going to want to look after Mimi. And Cam and Carly seem pretty attached at the hip to Evie and Zach, so they won't go either." Marcus shrugged. "I think David goes without saying. He isn't going to go anywhere without Serena."

"You could always go by yourself." Ondina told him dismissively.

"Nah." Marcus hopped over the couch and took a seat next to Ondina. He frowned slightly as he summoned forth magic. He felt his arm grow very warm and he put it around Ondina's shoulders. She frowned at him, but rather than moving away she scooted closer to him. "I only arranged this vacation so that I could show you guys that I had a tail. But since you already knew…" He sent a glare around the room.

Zach and Evie had the grace to look abashed, Mimi smiled apologetically, and Serena went into a coughing fit that sent a flurry of snowflakes cascading around a corner of the room. "Who says that we want you around?" Ondina asked him, but it was only a token argument. She had pulled his arm around her shoulder and was clearly enjoying the warmth.

"No one." Marcus agreed. "But if you think I'm going to let you get away with not being made fun of right now you are clearly mistaken."

 **I notice that a lot of you have remarked on the unusual color of Marcus's tail. Yes, it has significance. No, I will not specify what it is. Not just yet. As always, you guys are amazing. Thank you so much for your reviews they mean the world to me, truly they do.-Hallowed**


	30. Caretaker

"So what exactly is this supposed to do?" Marcus inquired. He was in Rita's kitchen along with Zach assisting her in mixing some sort of potion that Rita claimed would be of some benefit. "Will it cure them?"

"No, the only way for this cure to be fixed is to let it run its course." Rita told him regretfully. "But this should at least lessen some of their symptoms."

"Like their habit of freezing people when they sneeze?" Marcus asked, grinding some sort of plant in a stone bowl.

"No, it isn't wise to do anything involving their magic." Rita said, taking the ground up plant from Marcus and emptying it into a bowl that contained some sort of green liquid. At the addition of the plant the potion began to smoke slightly and Marcus immediately took a step back. Rita saw his hasty retreat and smiled at him encouragingly. "Don't worry, this is how it should be."

Zach was busily pulling food out of Rita's refrigerator and setting it into a large basket. When the basket reached dangerously full levels Zach closed the fridge door and gathered the container in his arms. "Want some help?" Marcus offered.

"No, I got it." Zach told him.

Marcus frowned and raised his hand. He concentrated on the basket and grinned triumphantly when it rose out of Zach's hands. It floated in the air right in front of Zach's surprised face, bobbing gently up and down. "That wasn't as hard as I thought it was." Marcus admitted, raising and lowering the basket with magic. "This magic thing is handy."

"And should only be used in situations that require it." Rita told him firmly, pushing the basket back into Zach's arms. "It should not be used to simply make things easier."

"I feel like that defeats the purpose." Marcus said. "But I see where you are coming from. No magic for fun, check."

They returned back to the snow-filled sanctuary to find that the girls had grown tails. A light flurry of snow descended from above them, and Marcus guessed that was the reason for their transformation. "You know, this whole transforming when you touch water thing is _really_ inconvenient." He laughed.

"You have no idea." Zach and Evie said simultaneously. They caught themselves and grinned at one another.

"Oh brother." Marcus rolled his eyes at the couple and took a seat on the steps. Rita waved her hand and sent the snow swirling away from her as she distributed the smoking potion to the girls. A spare snowflake must have landed on Zach as he suddenly found himself with a tail. "And then there were two." Marcus chuckled, referencing himself and Rita being the only ones who had yet to grow a tail.

"Not going to come over here?" Ondina asked Marcus. She had her arms crossed tightly against her chest and was evidently not enjoying the cold snow at all.

"For what?" Marcus wondered, thoroughly comfortable where he sat.

"To keep us company." Evie offered quickly, sensing an argument about to break forth.

"I can do that right here." Marcus told her. "And it's warm over here."

"Come over here and warm me up." Ondina commanded. She blushed slightly and hastily added, "Just so you can be useful."

"I'll get you a blanket." Marcus told her. He stood up and made to go up the stairs when some sort of sixth sense told him to turn around. His head whirled around just in time to see a large amount of snow making a beeline for him. He brought up his hands instinctively and cut a swath through the frozen water. He straightened once the snow had passed him by and smiled arrogantly. "I have magic too." H reminded a very annoyed Ondina.

"Is that how you want to play it?" She challenged.

"Yes." Marcus rose to the challenge immediately. "Absolutely."

"Would you two make up your minds?" Mimi asked exasperatedly. "Seriously. Either decide that you like each other or hate each other. All this back and forth is giving me a headache."

"You told me to annoy Ondina." Marcus reminded her. "You asked for this."

"That was to get you to come to the lesson." Evie pointed out.

"The agreement stands." Marcus declared. "Besides, she starts it."

"And finishes it." Ondina added.

"Well that's just blatantly untrue." Marcus shot back. "I win most of the time."

"I let you think you win." Ondina countered.

"That's enough you two." Rita clapped her hands loudly to bring attention to herself. "Since everyone is here, we might as well have a lesson. Marcus, come join the others."

Grumbling to himself, he hopped over the stone couch and took his seat next to Ondina. In less than a minute the falling snow had brought out his silver tail. Marcus glanced back from his tail to Zach's several times with mild interest. The others seemed to be doing the same thing. Rita was standing just far enough away to be out of the range of the snow that continued to fall in the room. Marcus shivered and immediately heated his arms to the hottest they would go. Ondina immediately seized one and held it across her chest, hugging it for warmth. Marcus hunched his shoulders and scowled at the theft of his limb but he maintained the heat in the arm Ondina had borrowed.

"Zach, do you remember your first full moon as a merman?" Rita asked, presumably starting the lesson.

"Sort of, not really." Zach admitted. "I was kind of out of it. I mean, I remember Serena, Lyla, and Nixie keeping an eye on me but not much more after that."

 _Speaking of which, where did those two get off to?_ Marcus wondered. _I didn't get to tell them the trip was cancelled._

"The full moon is a thing of great power, especially on Mako." Rita was saying. She fixed Marcus in her sight. "We need to prepare for this upcoming full moon. I'm not sure how you will be affected, or what will happen. Zach has acclimated to the full moon now, but he was born a merman. Evie is a mermaid. The full moon affects us differently than it does mermen. Marcus, there is no telling how the full moon will affect you or what changes your presence may bring."

"So I'll just stay inside." Marcus said, shrugging. "It won't be that hard. I'll go to bed early."

"It's not that easy mate." Zach said. "The moon calls you to Mako. You can't resist it. Trust me I tried."

"So, what? You want to chain me up?" Marcus asked, hoping that they wouldn't.

"No, but I want you down here for the night of the full moon." Rita told him. "Along with everyone down here right now. We need to be prepared for whatever this may bring."


	31. A Date?

"What do you mean your school doesn't do homecomings?" Marcus asked, outraged. They were sitting at the café, the day after the girls had gotten sick. Thanks to Rita's excellent caretaking they had made a quick recovery and everyone was now in very good spirits. Everyone except Marcus that is.

"Sorry mate." Zach told him. "Australian schools really don't do that sort of thing."

Marcus began to gnaw at his lip and glared at the table in front of him, mulling over the problem. "Are there any rules against it?" He asked finally as a plan began to form in his mind.

"Not that I know of." Evie said warily.

"Good to know." Marcus muttered, grabbing the empty glasses from in front of Zach and Evie and setting them in the sink. "By the way, where are Mimi and Chris?"

"Chris was having trouble with one of the dolphin tanks." Evie told him. "Apparently the water filtration system is having issues. Mimi went along to see how the dolphins are feeling."

"How they're feeling?" Marcus asked, snapping on a pair of latex gloves and setting to wash the glasses. "What, like their feelings?"

"Dolphins are a lot more intelligent than you think." Ondina told him. "Try talking to one. You'll be surprised."

"Uh huh." Marcus was not certain that a fish would be capable of surprising him. "So why doesn't the park just fix the filtration system? They should have insurance on it, right?"

"I'll ask." Zach promised, lounging back in his chair. "I don't really know for sure. Why?"

"If it's a big issue, I can give them the money." Marcus shrugged. "I haven't touched any of the money my parents gave me, except for a new phone. I still have a good amount."

The others were quiet, uncertain of what to say in the wake of Marcus's offer. Marcus checked his watch and smiled. "And now we closed." He said happily, walking over to the door and switching the sign from 'Open' to 'Closed'. He frowned at the patrons left in the bar, all of whom, except for David and Cam, were merpeople. "Alright. All of you get out. We're closed."

"Very funny." Cam chuckled, enjoying the last of his drink. "What are you guys up to tonight?"

"Zach and I are going for a swim." Evie said, smiling at her boyfriend.

"I think Serena wanted to go for a walk." David said, looking at her in question.

"Sounds good to me." Serena smiled at him in return.

"What about you Cam?" Marcus asked, intentionally not answering since he had no plans.

"Carly and I are going out to eat." He said, grinning. "It's our five month anniversary."

"That's not an anniversary." Marcus scoffed. "I don't understand how people consider every month an anniversary."

"Well, what about you then?" Cam asked indignantly. "What are you and Ondina doing?"

"We're not doing anything." Marcus said easily. He paused and glanced at Ondina. "At least, I have not been informed if we are."

"I have nothing planned." She said as she casually shrugged her shoulders. "Why, did you want to do something?"

"With you?" Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Not really."

Evie sighed angrily and smacked the table. Marcus and Ondina, who had just been about to argue, both paused and looked at her simultaneously. "You two need to stop getting on each other's nerves and just go on a date."

"But annoying her is one of my favorite things to do." Marcus said.

"And why would I go on a date with _him_?" Ondina asked, the idea apparently giving her great distress.

Marcus glared at her. "Hey, trust me the feeling is mutual."

As Ondina and Marcus began their typical back and forth Evie put her head in her hands and struggled not to scream. "You know," Zach said quietly as he leaned forward. "If you are right and these two actually like each other and _this_ is how they show it, they must be soul mates."

"They are perfect for each other." Evie agreed. "But they argue and make fun of each other so much that they can never get past it. I thought that when Ondina kissed Marcus they would make some kind of progress, but they have been arguing more than ever."

"It doesn't help that Ondina did kind of trick him with the whole tail thing." Cam offered, leaning forward as well.

Ondina and Marcus didn't appear to notice the conversation that was taking place right beside them as they continued to throw insults at one another. "You are an awful human." Ondina told him.

"Okay, first off, I take that as a compliment." Marcus grinned. "And secondly, I am not a horrible person. I happen to be a very nice individual."

"That's a lie." Ondina responded. "What kind of nice person turns down a date before they are even asked?"

"You didn't ask me!" Marcus shot back. "You said you didn't want to go on a date, not me!"

"Actually I asked why I would want to go on a date with you." Ondina corrected. "I was asking you a question, it's not my fault you saw it as an insult."

"Fine!" Marcus snapped. "Want to go on a date? Right now."

"Sure." Ondina said easily. "Let's go."

"Where are we going?" Marcus growled, following her out of the café.

"I want to show you one of my favorite kelp beds." Ondina said brightly.

"That is _not_ a date!" Marcus countered.

When the door slid shut behind them the people left in the café exchanged very confused looks. "I'm…. not sure what just happened." Cam admitted hesitantly. "They're going on a date, right?"

"Well, apparently they don't have the same standards of what a date entails." David surmised. "Which kind of defeats the idea of a date…."

Evie shook her head. "It's a date." She said forcefully, almost like she was convincing herself. "It has to be. I can't take those two acting like that anymore. It's exhausting."

They were silent for a while before Zach smiled slyly at Evie. A moment later Evie returned the grin and they got up from the table together.

"You two are going to spy on them." Cam observed confidently, pointing at each of them in turn. "Aren't you?"

"I want to see how those two act when it's just the two of them." Evie said, her tone making it clear that such a reason completely legitimized her reasoning for the intrusion on their privacy.

"I just want to see if they stop arguing." Zach added.

They said a quick farewell and then chased after the arguing duo. Once they were outside of the café they turned invisible and followed quietly after the couple.


	32. So What Next?

Somehow Marcus and Ondina found themselves back on Mako after exploring the reef near Mako for a while. Ondina had even managed to coax an eel out of its home and the creature had swum in circles around the mermaid while Marcus watched, intrigued. After that Ondina had shown him a truly beautiful collection of shells that had formed into a carpet across the sea floor. In fact everything that Ondina showed him was amazing to him. Foreign. But that unknown aspect of the sea floor made it all the more spectacular. And Ondina was no exception. On land she was snarky and somewhat unpleasant, but in the water she was something else entirely. Marcus couldn't describe the change that he saw in her, but he found that he liked this part of Ondina just as much as he liked the other part. This was a profound observation as it forced Marcus to admit to himself that he actually liked Ondina, a fact he had been deliberately avoiding for some time. Their time in the water seemed to stretch on forever and yet was over in an instant. Ondina had pointed to the island and off they had went.

"That was…. Something else." Marcus admitted quietly, gazing over the calm blue water. They had swam well into the night and now the moon and stars were illuminating the water. He smiled warmly at Ondina and gently nudged her shoulder with his own. "Thank you. You were right. That was an amazing date."

"You're welcome." Ondina smiled back at him. "I'm glad you liked it. I have to say, it was nice not arguing for once."

"I agree." Marcus chuckled. "But don't get used to it. I'm sure I will end up arguing with you soon enough."

"Maybe." Ondina shrugged. "Mimi says that she and Chris don't argue very much, and I have never seen Serena and David argue."

"That last one might be because they barely talk." Marcus said wisely. "But I see your point. Some couples never argue."

"Do you think we will?" Ondina wondered. "I know the arguing we do now-."

"Whoa, hold up." Marcus cut her off. "'We' as in _'we'_?"

"As in you and I." Ondina said, now frowning slightly. Her eyes widened slightly and her cheeks went crimson. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-."

"No, no!" Marcus stammered, his cheeks now equally crimson. "I totally-."

"Just thought-." Ondina looked away embarrassedly.

"I didn't want to-." Marcus stared down at the sand, searching desperately for a way to convey his thoughts. Romance was new territory for him, as was conveying accurate thoughts on said matter. His initial statement questioning the 'we' Ondina had used had not gona over swimmingly as it had in his mind. Evidently Ondina was not much better at these types of conversations than he was.

"Ondina, listen I-." Marcus faltered and then took a deep breath. "Listen, I know I give you a hard time."

His breath whooshed out of him when Ondina grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him against the sand. She leaned over and stared down at him, tucking her hair behind her ears with one hand. Very slowly, excruciatingly so, she leaned down and pressed her lips to Marcus's. His mind went blank the instant the contact happened, but just like last time it was over just as suddenly as it began. He blinked several times and sat up, looking at her with a slight confusion. "I know I said I probably wouldn't do that again…" Ondina's voice trailed off temptingly. "But I changed my mind."

"I'm glad you did." Marcus managed. "What made you change your mind?"

"I don't know." Ondina leaned back on her hands and closed her eyes. She raised her face to the moon and seemingly was lost in the bliss. "But it was… nice."

Several meters away, two hidden audience members grinned and exchanged grins. "So they _do_ like each other." Zach muttered under his breath to Evie.

"Of course they do." Evie said as though it should have been more obvious. "They just act like they do around us."

Marcus laid out on the sand and put his hands behind his head, yawning and closing his eyes. "I guess I'm not going to go back home tomorrow." He told Ondina. "It's too nice right now. I'm comfortable."

"Well I'm going to the Moon Pool." Ondina told him, rising from the sand and looking back down at him. "Are you sure that you will be alright here?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Marcus reassured her, not rising from the sand. "Good night."

"Good night." Ondina told him. She strode into the sea and disappeared beneath the moonlit waves.

Marcus yawned and stretched again. He opened his eyes and glanced to where he sensed magic being used. With a sudden jerk of his muscles, he extended his hands towards them and pushed off their invisibility spell. "Thought so." He told Zach and Evie. "Having fun spying?"

"How did you know?" Evie asked, clearly baffled.

"I don't know." Marcus admitted. The larger the moon was it seemed the more in tune he was with his magic. It had been that way ever since he had accidentally turned his tail silver. He had been worried about the increased magical awareness at first, but it had given him no trouble thus far so he disregarded it. "Just sort of felt it. But back to the matter at hand, why were you spying on us all night?"

"You knew all along?" Zach repeated.

Marcus rolled his eyes and pushed off the sand. He glanced up at the moon, which was three quarters of the way full, and breathed in the night air. He felt truly alive then. Powerful. "Maybe you guys aren't as sneaky as you thought?" Marcus suggested. "I mean, come on, it was pretty obvious when we had two random bubble trails following after us."

His explanation had the desired effect and both Evie and Zach visibly relaxed. "So how was your date?" Evie asked slyly.

"Since you were there for the whole thing, why don't you tell me?" Marcus asked cryptically. "I mean, you've been trying to set up Ondina and I for a little while now, right?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." Evie said, reddening.

Marcus smiled confidently. Everything that had happened in the past several weeks seemed to be in much clearer detail now that he thought about it. _Is this what the moon does to mermen?_ He found himself wondering in a distracted part of his brain. _This isn't bad at all. I wish I could feel like this all the time._

"Seems to me like things went pretty well." Zach told Marcus with a grin. "Like, really well mate."

"If you consider that well, then yes." Marcus agreed. "She really is an amazing woman… mermaid… person. Whatever. You get what I mean."

"So, what now?" Evie asked. "Flowers?"

"I was thinking oysters." Marcus said. "If I remember correctly, they are Ondina's favorite. I think she would like them better than flowers. But that's getting ahead of myself. There's still no telling if she even wants to continue things beyond where we are now."

"Are you alright Marcus?" Zach asked, the corner of his mouth tugging downward. "You seem a bit off."

"Probably because I just kissed a beautiful girl." Marcus said sagely. "I mean, look at David. He can barely breathe and talk at the same time when Serena is around."

"Fair enough." Zach acknowledged, but Marcus sensed that he wasn't fully convinced.

Growing bored with this conversation, Marcus felt something calling to him deeper in the island. Like a long-lost friend. But he was more wary of the calling than actually inclined to pursue it any further. He pushed away the urge to search out whatever it was that pulled at him and yawned once more. "Look, I would be happy to chat away the night, but I'm going to sleep." Marcus put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, effectively terminating further discussion.

Somewhat baffled by their sudden dismissal, Zach and Evie hesitated briefly before walking into the water together. When he heard the splash of their tails against the surface of the water Marcus opened his eyes. He waited for what seemed like an appropriate amount of time before raising his hand and covering up his view of the moon. His whole body felt energized, almost as though the moon was a battery feeding directly to him. Slightly curious, he rolled over onto his stomach and stared at the driftwood stump he had often tied his boat too. The weathered stump was easily upwards of one hundred pounds and had not moved for as long as Marcus had been coming to the island. Without even raising his hand, he narrowed his eyes and the log floated gently into the air. Marcus extended a hand then and rotated the stump in a small circle before dropping it back onto the sound with a loud thump. He rolled onto his back again and looked at the hand he had extended. He smiled as he slowly closed it into a fist. _So this is magic._ He told himself as he drifted off to sleep.


	33. Regression

Marcus opened his eyes and, for just a moment, thought it was still night outside. He sat up and looked around, quickly realizing his mistake. He was no longer outside. In fact judging by the stone walls he was in some sort of cave. He slowly got to his feet and gave a small sound of surprise when he saw what he had been resting on. An indentation of a trident on the floor seemed to exert an odd sense of power, a cold and deep power. Marcus quickly stepped off the indentation, bumping into a raised stone table of some sort at the Trident's base. Symbols were etched into the stone face of the tablet, and Marcus frowned as he studied them. He touched one that resembled the moon with one finger and the trident on the floor immediately lit up with a brilliant blue light. "Uh, uh, no!" Marcus said, touching the moon again. "No! Turn off!"

When touching the moon had no effect he stepped away from the symbols and held his breath, praying that he had not done anything. He only breathed again when the glowing slowly began to fade from the trident. Marcus clutched his chest and shook his head slowly. "Okay, no more playing with things found in weird caves." He told himself. He scanned the cave, frowning. He didn't remember going to sleep here, in fact the last thing he remembered was falling asleep on the beach. A tunnel seemed to lead out of the chamber and Marcus quickly walked through the hole in the rock. The tunnel led on for a couple dozen meters before it ended with a stone wall. Marcus sighed in disappointment but turned around and walked back to the chamber. He ran a hand along one of the blue pillars that surrounded the trident symbol on the floor, quietly marveling at the coolness of the stone. He stepped back onto the trident symbol and he immediately felt something run across him. He blinked, just once, but in the space of that blink he was no longer where he had been when he closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes he was falling.

It was a very familiar fall, he had seen it a few times before. The Moon Pool cave was unique enough that he couldn't mistake it for another cave. He hit the water with his curse and someone else's shout of confusion in his ears. When he resurfaced he saw three pairs of eyes staring at him in shock. "Uh, hi." Marcus said, smiling at the three of them. "Just dropping by."

"Who are you?" Nixie demanded. It was a simple statement, but in those three words Marcus knew that something was wrong. Something was very, _very_ wrong.

"Nixie, it's me, Marcus." He answered, his instincts screaming at him that he was in danger. He smiled at them, his brow furrowing. "What are you playing at?"

"Nixie, you know him?" Lyla asked, glaring daggers at the boy.

"I've never seen him before in my life." The brown haired girl said.

"He must be a friend of Zach's." Serena said, her eyes filling with horror. "He managed to get someone else turned into a merman by the Pool."

"Zach didn't do this." Marcus said, frowning now. His eyes widened and then narrowed as he studied the girls. They were different than the girls he knew. They were… younger. Less trusting. He could see that in their eyes.

He suddenly felt something close around him, almost as though something had grabbed onto his very soul. "Come on," Nixie said fiercely. "If we can take his powers now we won't have to worry about him later."

"You what?" Marcus managed, raising his own had and pushing back at the force that grabbed him. "What's going on with you three? It's _me! Marcus!_ "

"We don't know who you are!" Lyla responded, raising her own hand now.

"What do you mean?" Marcus panted. He was becoming strained now as he tried to fight off the magic of two mermaids. If Serena added her magic to their onslaught he knew he would be overwhelmed. "Of course you do! You taught me to swim!"

Serena raised her arm, but Marcus had already had enough. He used the last of his power and pushed away their magic just long enough to disappear beneath the water and swim as fast as he could out of the cave. His mind raced with possibilities on what could be happening, but none of them made sense. _What's going on? Why didn't they recognize me? Where's Ondina and Mimi?_

He glanced behind him and sighed in relief when he did not see any bubble trails following his own. He shot off towards the mainland, intent on finding someone he knew and having them explain what was happening. He decided that Rita's house was the best option and adjusted his path accordingly. It took him some time, but he found the entrance to the hidden chamber beneath her house and he followed it up to her pool. He pulled himself up on the floor of the grotto and began drying off his tail. He had just finished his task when, to his relief, Rita came down the steps immersed in a book. "Thank goodness." Marcus said at length, startling Rita into dropping her book. He got to his feet and ran a hand through his hair. "You have to help me, Nixie, Lyla, and Serena have lost it they-." His voice cut off when he saw Rita raise her hand.

His eyes widened and he dove behind the couch for cover. "Oh come _on!_ " Marcus snapped. "Not you too! It's _me dammit_! Marcus!"

"How did you find this place?" Rita demanded. "How do you know about those three?"

"How do I-, Because they introduced themselves to me! And I know about this place because I've been down here before…" For the second time in less than fifteen minutes, Marcus felt something off. The grotto was the same as ever with a massive variety of objects strewn about, but many of the objects were not in the same place they had been when he had been here before last. And other things didn't seem to be here entirely. "Where's Poseidon?" The question had popped out of his mouth before he had given it any thought. He may not have liked the vindictive cat, but it was fun to play with.

"How do you know about my cat?" Rita asked suspiciously.

"Because he got me into trouble before." Marcus said. He very slowly got to his feet, his arms raised above his head. He looked warily to Rita, who had not lowered her arm, and took a steadying breath. "Look, I don't know what's going on here. But I need you to believe me, you know who I am. Or at least you did."

"Are you a friend of Zach's?" Rita asked, slowly lowering his arm. She crossed the room, watching him the entire time, and grabbed a small red box. She walked slowly back over to Marcus and opened the lid. She grabbed a pinch of something inside the tin and blew it into his face.

"Yes." He said, blinking and rubbing his eyes. The powder burned cold against his eyes but it wasn't particularly painful. "But apparently that only pissed off the girls."

"How do you know about this place?" Rita asked again, setting the box down.

"I told you, I've been here before when you gave everyone magic lessons." Marcus told her. "What is going on? Why can't any of you remember me? Where are Mimi, Ondina, Zach, and Evie? I'm sure they'll vouch for me."

"I recognize the name Ondina, but I've never heard of a Mimi. And as for Zach, I don't think that he will do much to help you. And I don't know what a human like Evie has to do with anything."

Marcus did a double take. "I've seen Evie's tail." He said uncertainly. "She's as much of a mermaid as you are."

"I think…" Rita said, sitting down on her couch and folding her arms across her chest. "That perhaps you should do your best to explain what you remember."


	34. Return

A long, heavy silence ensued as Marcus finished regaling his tale to Rita. She had said nothing during his recounting of how he had come to be in her grotto, which he was thankful for as it let him quickly tell his tale. "And… that's pretty much everything." Marcus said finally, clapping his hands against his side.

"So there's a merman chamber on Mako…"Rita murmured. She was staring down at Poseidon and stroking the cat absentmindedly, but her eyes told Marcus that her thoughts were far away. "And you don't know where it is?"

"Not a clue." Marcus shrugged. "You guys keep that information close to your vest. So do you guys have any idea why you can't remember me?"

"I don't think it's a case of not being able to remember you." Rita said delicately. "I think it's a case of never having met you. I believe that the chamber sent you back in time."

Marcus felt his stomach drop and he suddenly felt woozy. He had considered the option, but somehow Rita's stating the idea made it seem all too real. "Is that even possible?" He managed after a few seconds of silence.

"If what you have told me is true-."

"And it is."

"Then it is. I simply don't know what the capabilities of the merman chamber are, or what its true purpose is." Rita shrugged helplessly. "To be perfectly honest, I'm not even sure if it's possible to return you back to your own time. I would guess that the chamber sent you back for a reason. What that reason is, however, I don't have the slightest clue."

"I can tell you what I remember-." Marcus offered, but Rita viciously shook her head.

"No!" She said vehemently, raising her hands as though stopping his words. "You've most likely already told me too much. It sounds as though things work out best in the future at any rate. Your involvement could change something crucial that happens. No, its best if you excuse yourself from this situation Marcus."

"Excuse myself?" Marcus repeated incredulously. " _I have to get back!_ "

"I understand that, but the chamber is too dangerous to experiment with." Rita told him firmly. "I know it is hard, but you have to understand that using that chamber could have more effects than just you. Even if you managed to get back to your time, activating the chamber now could affect what happens later."

"So, what?" Marcus asked angrily. "What do I do? Leave? Just give up on making it back to my time?"

"Sometimes we face hard choices." Rita said, rising to her feet. Poseidon yowled in protest as she inadvertently deposited the fluffy white cat onto the floor. "But you have to consider what is best for everyone, not just yourself."

"Right now they don't know about the chamber, right?" Marcus argued. "They only know about the trident. While they are fighting about that, let me work on figuring out the chamber. It makes sense."

"The risk is too high! If you were to activate the chamber, none of them would be able to stop you!" Rita was growing angry now, Marcus could see that much in her eyes. "Marcus, I don't know why the chamber sent you back. But whatever the reason it can't be for anything good! The best way to avoid any potential harm would be for you to not go to the chamber at all."

"I'm sorry," He told her. "But that's just not an option."

Rita began to raise her arm, but Marcus beat her to the punch. His eyes narrowed and she staggered back a step, sitting down on the couch again. She tried to rise but Marcus's magic kept her stuck there. "Sorry." He told her sincerely. "But if that chamber can get me back home, then I have to figure out how. According to Erik there was a certain way of activating it, along with the trident stone. I don't have either so it shouldn't activate."

"You don't know that!" Rita insisted. "Marcus, I don't know you. But what I do know is that the chamber is _dangerous_! The war between mermen and mermaids went on for years! The merman who built that chamber clearly thought that it should not be used! I understand that you want to get back to your home, but this is _not_ the way to do it."

"Maybe it isn't." Marcus acknowledged. Rita tried to rise again, but he forced her back down. Marcus steeled his resolve and hardened his eyes when he looked at her. "But if there's even a chance, then I have no choice but to take it." Marcus wouldn't say it out loud, but he had an ulterior motive for wanting to get back to his time. Last night on the beach, when he had lifted the stump into the air without any effort, he realized that his powers were growing rapidly. In his time the chamber was not an issue. The trident stone was gone and with it the source for the chamber's activation. In this time however, the chamber was still a very viable threat. As it stood right then, no single mermaid or merman could stand up to him it seemed and the girls and Zach were not playing nice.

Marcus turned away from Rita and gazed down at the pool of water that led out to the sea. "I wish there could be some other way." He sighed. "I really do. But, trust me, you don't want me anywhere around when this full moon comes up."

"The full moon is tonight!" Rita told him furiously. "Whatever it is that you are afraid of, or are trying to avoid-."

"I'm not afraid of anything." Marcus sighed. "I'm worried about what will happen tonight with no one being able to contain me. I'm going to that chamber. And I'm going to find a way to get back to where I belong."

He fell into the water and shot off, back towards Mako. The calling of the Merman Chamber was heavy in his mind again, but this time rather than push it back he let it guide him. He pulled himself up onto the beach, keeping a wary eye out for Nixie, Lyla, and Serena. When his legs remerged from his tail he jogged off deeper into the island, still following the direction given by the merman chamber. It led him to a rocky outcrop, but Marcus saw no entrance in sight. He ran his hand against the side of the wall, surprised to feel the familiar power of the trident on the chamber's floor resonating through the stone. Marcus pushed on the wall with both hands at first, and then with magic. Nothing happened at first, but eventually the stone wall started to shimmer and then, suddenly, Marcus fell through the wall and into the tunnel that led to the chamber. The pull of the chamber was stronger now, the connection deeper somehow. Resisting was harder now, and it grew even more difficult with every step he took. When he finally entered the chamber's inner sanctum Marcus felt like he was swimming. The chamber was just like he had last seen it.

"Alright," Marcus said, walking around to the symbols on the raised pedestal. He pressed one finger to the moon again and the trident glowed a brilliant blue. "Take me back." He walked around to the symbol on the floor and took a deep breath. He stepped onto the symbol and winced when he felt a tendril of magic run through him. He felt his breath suddenly be knocked out of him, and something else seemed to leave with the air. Marcus fell to one knee, his face twisted into an odd grimace. The chamber, which had been calling to him as though an old friend might, had seemingly changed from warm to cold. Marcus felt his breath return, knocking him off of his feet. He closed his eyes when the back of his head smacked against the trident symbol.

Just like before, he didn't feel anything change when he closed his eyes. But again when they opened he was no longer in the chamber. He blinked several times, looking around confusedly as he instantly recognized where he was at. Marcus rubbed the back of his head experimentally, making certain there was no damage after his fall. "Erm, son?" Arthur snapped his fingers in front of Marcus's face several times, bringing Marcus's attention back to him

Marcus shook his head and smiled apologetically at the man. "Sorry about that." Marcus said smoothly, "Sort of zoned out."

"Don't be doing that when you are taking my boat out now, you here?" Arthur asked sternly, placing the keys into Marcus's hand. "Treat her good now, she's a bit old."

"No worries." Marcus said, smiling in true relief. He wasn't entirely certain what had just happened, but it seemed to him as though the chamber had sent him back. It might not have been where he had left off, but it was close enough for Marcus. Reliving ten days wasn't so bad. But then a thought struck Marcus. He glanced towards the water, gnawing at him lip. He remembered this day perfectly. It was his third day after landing on the Gold Coast. He had not yet met any of the others, in fact later today he was scheduled to meet Rita. He bade Arthur farewell and made his way down the docks to where the boat was waiting. He stepped onto the craft and quickly pushed off from the dock. He started the motor and headed off to Mako. He waited until he was far enough away from the mainland before he cut the engine and let the boat slide to a stop. He reached over the side and stuck his arm into the water up to his elbow. He waited like that for several minutes, but his tail did not appear. "Well played chamber." Marcus said, laughing at the circumstance. "Well played."


	35. A Forgotten Reunion

The thing about second chances is that true second chances don't come around too often. Marcus pulled the boat up onto Mako and tied it off to the stump. He slung his backpack over his shoulder, and set off for the cliffs as he had so many days ago. It was the same beautiful day that he remembered down to the gentle breeze that ran across the island. The familiar weight of his climbing gear in his backpack rustled slightly as Marcus began the climb up the cliffs. He used the route up the rock face that he had many times before, quickly ascending to the top. It was there that Marcus finally paused. He sat down at the top of the cliff and gazed down into the Moon Pool cave. He pulled off his backpack and pulled out a climbing axe and a length of rope, tossing it over the side of the cliff. He pulled on the rope until the axe caught against the stone of the cliff. But he didn't began to climb down into the cave. Marcus sat there with the rest of the rope coiled on his lap and a silent question in his mind. He had never truly wanted to be a merman, he had enjoyed it to be certain, but the thought of what the merman chamber was capable of gave him pause. He did not want to be the cause of something horrible happening to Mako, especially if it would end up harming Ondina.

The decision was gradual, but Marcus eventually gave up trying to fight the feeling in his gut. He dropped the coil of rope and began to climb back down the cliff face. When he reached the bottom he pulled out his cell phone and checked the time. He had an hour until he was supposed to be at Rita's house, and he did not have any intention of being there early. He was still uncertain as to whether or not she would remember him from the past. The whole traveling through time thing had happened so quickly he had no idea on the specifics of how it worked. Rather than heading straight back to the mainland, Marcus decided to take a nap on the beach. Using his backpack as a makeshift pillow, he stretched out like a cat on the warm sand and shut his eyes. Sleep fell quickly upon him.

Something never change, no matter how much time passes. "Hey!" An angry yet very familiar voice barked, arousing Marcus from his rest. He opened his eyes and saw Ondina staring down at him, a frown on her face. Behind her stood Mimi and Serena, both of them looking similarly irritated.

"Hiya." Marcus said, smiling at her despite her glare. "What's up?"

"What are you doing here?" Ondina demanded, putting a hand on her hip.

Marcus felt strangely sad when he realized that Ondina no longer knew him. He rolled over onto his stomach and pushed himself to his feet, wiping the sand off his clothes before he bothered answering here. "I was sleeping." He said, rolling his eyes. "You know, until you woke me up. Thanks for that by the way." Marcus suddenly frowned when he remembered something. When he first met Rita these three along with Zach and Evie had been already at her house. So why were they here now?

"You shouldn't be here." Ondina told him sternly. "This island-."

"This island is open to the public." Marcus said coolly. He now understood what Evie had meant when she told him that Ondina had been is a dark place before he had met her. He could tell just by the way that she was looking at him just how angry and sad she was. "I'm allowed to be here, Ondina."

She gave a start and her eyes widened. "How do you know my name?" She asked, raising her hand. Behind her, Mimi and Serena mimicked her motion.

Marcus smiled at them and shrugged. "I know a lot more than your name." He told her. He looked at the other two and winked at them. "How is Chris, Mimi? And Serena, is David still hiring?"

The looks of shock on their faces could not be overstated in the least. "Who are you?" Mimi asked in a low voice. "Are you a friend of Erik's?"

"No. I'm a friend of _yours_." Marcus gave a small laugh and then sighed. "Or, at least, I guess I was. You don't remember me because you only just met me. But I've known you three for a little while. You three, Zach, Rita, Evie, Cam, Carly, David, Chris, Nixie, Lyla. I knew all of you."

"Who are you?" Ondina asked.

"My name is Marcus." He answered. "Marcus White. It's a pleasure to meet all of you… again."

They didn't say anything, not unless their stunned expressions could be considered as saying something. Marcus pulled out his phone and glanced at the time. "I have to go meet Rita." He told them. "I'll see all of you there."

He walked away from them then, his mind racing with different scenarios that could be coming his way. He had told them everything because he could not stand the way they had looked at him. He pushed off the boat, his shoes immediately becoming waterlogged. He jumped into the boat when it was far enough into the water. He glanced back to the island and waved at the girls who were still standing where he had left them on the beach. Marcus gunned the motor and tore off towards the mainland. He considered anchoring the boat beside Rita's sea entrance, but he wasn't entirely sure that he would be able to make that swim as a human. Besides, he reflected, he would need to return the boat at the same time if he were to meet Evie at the docks.

As expected, Arthur met him on the docks and they repeated the same conversation they had had that fateful day. "What about Mako?" Evie asked, striding up to the two.

"Oh, nothing." Arthur laughed. "He was just asking what it was called."

Filled with an overwhelming sense of déjà vu, Marcus laughed as well if only to keep from repeating the exact same conversation. "It was an amazing place." He told them. "If you excuse me, I have to go to Principal Santos's house. Thank you for letting me borrow your boat Arthur."

"Of course, of course." The old man smiled. "Feel free to take her out whenever you want."

"I'll be sure to do that." Marcus promised. He turned away and began to walk down the docks when he heard Evie's footsteps follow behind him. "Yes." Marcus said without looking at her.

"Yes?" She asked, surprised by his aloof manner. "Yes what?"

"You were about to ask if you could walk with me." Marcus told her. He glanced sideways and nearly laughed at the look she was giving him. "Come on, let's go to Rita's. I owe you and the others an explanation."

"The others?" Evie asked, now completely lost.

"The other mermaids and Zach." Marcus said casually. "Of course, you could swim if you'd like."

"Who are you?" Evie asked, clearly shocked. "How do you know…?"

"About your little secret?" Marcus finished for her. "Because I used to share the same secret."

 **Alright, so I thought I would give a quick explanation here so that I do not completely lose you. Time travel in itself is an idea shrouded in much controversy. There are three main theories regarding said matter, but the one I thought fit here best was this one. "The effects of the person going into the past are already being affected by the present." Long story short, Marcus going back both did and did not affect the past. Sorry if it is confusing. As always, thank you so much for your reviews. -Hallowed**


	36. Recounting

"So, Marcus is it?" Rita asked as she walked out of the house and took a seat opposite him on their porch. She smiled at him, but it was a smile full of confusion. Or at least, Marcus surmised, that's what she was trying to play it off as. He was fairly certain that he saw worry in her eyes. "I've been told that you have been filled with some…. Rather odd notions about my nieces. Mermaids, was it?" Rita forced a laugh.

Marcus smiled pleasantly at her. He reached down to scratch his leg, or that's how it appeared. His shoes were still waterlogged from pushing the boat off of the beach and it took very little effort for Marcus to cover his palm in a thin layer of water. "Well, yes." He answered. He paused and grimaced comically. "I'm sorry, I forgot my manners. It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Santos." He offered his hand.

Rita smiled back at him and took her hand in his own. The second her skin came in contact with Marcus's she realized his trap and her mistake. She tried to pull away, but Marcus's grip was like that of a vice. "Sorry about this." He told her. "But if I have to deal with you guys trying to keep the secret when I already know it, this whole conversation will take a very long time. And I need to fill you in on what you missed."

A few seconds later Rita tipped over in her chair, her tail having appeared in a very awkward position. She fell to the ground and the others moved forward. Marcus immediately stood up from the table and raised his hands into the air. Ondina and Zach must have taken this as a sign of aggression as both of their hands shot out and Marcus was sent flying back through the glass door leading to Rita's kitchen. He landed on the kitchen staring in surprise up at the ceiling. On the counter, clearly not disturbed by the violent entrance, was Poseidon. The cat stared calmly down at Marcus as the man got to his feet and rubbed the back of his neck. "Nice to see you too, Poseidon." Marcus said, wincing. He pulled a small shard of glass from his neck and tossed it to the floor. He walked back out to the porch at the same time that Rita was regaining her legs. Massaging his aching neck, Marcus very slowly raised his other hand. "I might have deserved that. But I wasn't using magic."

"I think we should take this conversation elsewhere." Rita said, walking around the table and into her house. Marcus followed after her, the others acting like escorts of sorts. He pulled his hand away from his neck and frowned at the blood that seemed to still be dripping from his cut. Rita selected the book that acted as the button for her secret chamber and the door slid open, revealing the tunnel entrance. Marcus frowned and examined his hand, until he saw Rita looking at him expectantly.

"I've seen this before." He explained, clamping his hand back down on his neck. "I'll explain when we get to the grotto."

Rita said nothing, but simply swept down the stairs. Once downstairs, she sat down on the couch and crossed her legs. Her students took seats on either side of her while Marcus stood in front of them. He felt as though he was about to give a school presentation, something he was not overly fond of. He shook off the similarity and smiled at the people assembled before him. "I know that you don't remember me, but I remember you." Marcus began. "It's going to be hard to believe, but I've met all of you before. This exact day in fact. But not this one."

"That doesn't make any sense." Zach frowned. "Today, but not today? Just tell us how you know about us. Who told you?"

"All of you did." Marcus said simply. "I've lived through this day twice now."

"How is that possible?" Mimi wondered, her voice clear that she did not believe Marcus at all.

"Two words." Marcus told them. "Merman chamber."

Instantly the mood in the room changed from skeptical to disbelief and anger. "What do you know about the chamber?" Ondina demanded, shooting to her feet. Her hand rose halfway from her side and Marcus's mirrored her action.

He sighed when he remembered that he no longer had the magical means to counter hers. Marcus heaved a great sigh and shook his head disappointedly. "Listen, all of you." He told them his voice suddenly severe. "I'm _not_ your enemy. I'm your friend. Or at least I was. I don't know. But I came here to tell you what happened. But if you want to accuse me of being some sort of traitor or something every five seconds you can forget it. I'll go back to Mako and go take a dip in the Moon Pool. I fell into the Moon Pool the first time I ran through this day. The only reason I didn't jump through that hole in the top of the chamber was because I wanted to talk to all of you first."

"You've been in the Moon Pool?" Rita asked, shocked. She got to her feet and made her way across the room. She grabbed something out of a metal case and strode quickly back over to Marcus. He raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to ask something when Rita tossed a handful of silver powder in his face. He immediately began to cough violently, his vision swimming. He tried to wipe the powder off of his face and gave a start when he saw his hands. His veins seemed to be glowing with an odd silver light, the same color as his tail. "It's true. But… Silver?" Rita murmured, her eyes losing focus and becoming lost in thought.

"What is it with you and those damn powders?" Marcus managed, still coughing. "But if you believe me… whatever."

"Start from the beginning." Rita told Marcus finally. "Tell us everything, starting from when you fell into the Moon Pool."

Marcus looked to Ondina, who had not lowered her half-raised arm or taken her eyes off of him. He suddenly felt sad and sighed. "Alright." He told Rita. "But… You're going to have to bear with me. It's a lot to tell, and I only want to tell you once."

"That's fair." Rita nodded. "Go ahead, we won't interrupt."

And so Marcus began his tale, for the second time in as many days. He detailed his fall into the Moon Pool, both times, and his attempt at keeping the secret from them. He even went into detail about his growing relationship with Ondina. He told them of his meeting with Erik. He told them everything that had transpired since he had arrived on Mako.

When he finished, the others exchanged long looks filled with meaning that only they could understand. Marcus stood quietly to the side, awaiting their thoughts on his tale. He wasn't sure what they would say, or indeed if they would believe him. "Is it possible?" Ondina asked finally.

"We know almost nothing about the merman chamber." Rita answered. "But, based on what I have been told yes it is possible. The lessons that Marcus said he sat through are correct for what I was planning on teaching you this week. As far as I can tell… He's telling the truth."

"Well, now that that's out of the way…" Marcus raised his arms, shooting a glare at Ondina as though daring her to use her powers. "What now?"


	37. Author's Note

**Hello everyone, Hallowed here with a quick update. I know I have been absent these past couple days and for that I apologise. I needed to step back and take a breather from HTT for just a minute. I will return, probably tomorrow, but for now I am on a very temporary hiatus. I will be continuing this story worry not. I actually have a lot planned for this story and I am very much looking forward to writing future scenes... no pun intended. I wish you all the best, and thank you for understanding. Respectfully and Gratefully, Hallowed.**


	38. Madness

What is it about the night that humans instinctively fear? The question buzzed around Marcus's head as he exited Rita's house, squinting in the gloom. His explanation had taken the better part of several hours and in that time the sun had set on the Gold Coast. He gazed up at the dark sky and shook his head in disbelief, thinking back to Rita's answer to his question. "What now?" He had asked. _What a stupid question._ Dante thought with a bitter laugh.

"Let us discuss this, Dante." Rita had told him. "We have to consider how we wish to proceed based on what you have told us."

"Proceed?" Dante had asked confusedly. "What do you mean?"

"You used the Merman Chamber, despite knowing that the chamber is dangerous." Rita had simply said.

And now he found himself walking home by himself. His gaze darted over to Mako, and then up at the moon above. It wasn't quite full, but tomorrow it would be. Marcus gazed down at his hands and then looked back to the beach. The surf was gentle that night, with waves barely reaching a foot in height. He stretched one hand out tentatively and took a deep breath. He doubted it would work, but if there was even a chance…

Marcus focused on the water, willing it to rise up even if it was only an inch. The waves ran up and down the beach, stubbornly refusing to be controlled by Marcus. He frowned and redoubled his concentration, extending his other hand as well. He tried, how he tried, but Marcus was forced to give up his effort. He sat back down on the beach with a gasp and put his head between his legs. He ground his teeth as he stared down at the sand, furious that his magic had been taken from him. He might not have particularly wanted to be a mermaid, but he had grown accustomed to having a tail. He even liked it. Having something that he actually enjoyed taken from him did not sit well with Marcus at all. With a frustrated yell he fell backwards, his arms spread out on the sand. He laid like that for a long time, staring up at the moon and wishing silently that the chamber hadn't taken his powers from him. However, the more he thought about it the more Marcus wished that the others would treat him as they had before. Due to his constantly moving from place to place, making friends had been a chore he had given up on. Having those ties cut was much more painful for Marcus than having his powers taken away.

"Uh, excuse me?" A voice asked. Marcus groaned and sat up, sand falling from his hair and down his back. Marcus blinked several times in surprise and looked around. An unfamiliar girl with long dark hair was staring down at him a few feet away. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Marcus sighed. "A little disappointed, but fine. What are you doing on the beach at this time of day?"

"I could ask the same thing of you." She said, sitting down on the sand beside him and smoothing out her skirt.

 _Okay let's see here. Mystery girl on the beach in the middle of the night. What about this is familiar?_ Marcus barked out a sudden laugh which seemed to startle the girl. "Oh, you have gotta be kidding me."

The girl frowned and scooted a few inches away from Marcus. He could tell that she was already sitting down beside him. "Are you sure you are alright?" She asked uncertainly, watching him cautiously.

"Like I said, fine." Marcus repeated. "Let me guess, you're a member of the pod?" Now that she was closer he could tell that she was not his age as he had initially thought. She seemed to be a couple years older than him, though he couldn't be certain.

Her shock was plain, though she tried to hide it quickly. "Pod?" She repeated. "Like dolphins?"

"No, like mermaids." Marcus corrected. He glanced down at her hand and smiled when he spied the Moon Ring adorning her finger. "Like you. That's a Moon Ring, I'm sure of that."

She regarded him for a long moment and then dropped her confused façade. "Who are you?" She asked. Her voice was devoid of any venom, for which he was grateful."

"Name's Marcus." He told her. "And yours?"

She considered him for another long minute before answering. "Cleo." She said finally. "My name's Cleo. And yes, I'm one of the pod."

"Thought so." Marcus said, lying back down on the sand and tucking his hands behind his head. "Once you know what to look for you guys, or girls, sorry, are really easy to see."

"How do you know about the pod?" Again, her words weren't particularly venomous merely curious. "I don't recognize you at all."

"I don't know you either." Marcus shrugged. "And as for your question, that is going to take a little while to explain. Shortest way for me to say it would be to tell you that I used to be a merman."

"Used to be?" She asked uncertainly. "As in your powers disappeared?"

"As in my powers got taken from me." Marcus said, "By the merman chamber. I didn't play by its rules I guess."

"I'm sorry, you'll have to tell me the story now." Cleo told him. "I wasn't born a mermaid. I want to hear how you lost your powers."

"Does it matter?" Marcus sighed, "Listen, it's been a really long day…"

"If you were tired you should have gone home." Cleo told him. "Since you are here you might as well tell me."

"I just told Rita and the others my story." Marcus told her. "How about you tell me your story and then I'll tell you mine?"

Cleo thought for a moment and then shrugged. "Like I said I wasn't born a mermaid. It happened really suddenly, one day…" Cleo began to regale him with her tale about getting her tail.

Marcus listened with rapt attention, not speaking until she was done. It took a very long time, much longer than his story, but when she was finally finished he shook his head in disbelief. "My story isn't as cool as yours." He admitted. "But here goes. I came to the Gold Coast because I always heard how beautiful it was. When I got here I heard about Mako and wanted to explore it…" Marcus told her everything, up until the very moment that he had met Cleo on the beach just hours ago.

Unlike him, she was not quiet throughout his story. She constantly asked questions which made his story take quite a while. When he finally finished, she seemed to look at him through a new light. "So you really like Ondina, don't you?" She asked finally.

Out of all the questions she could have asked him, this was the one he had not expected. "Uh, yeah. A lot." He admitted, slightly embarrassed. "Doesn't do me much good if she can't remember."

"If she liked you once, she'll like you again." Cleo said confidently, getting to her feet. She offered Marcus a hand and he took it.

The second their skin touched her Moon Ring blazed a brilliant blue and they both were forced to look away. Marcus tried to disengage their hands, but an invisible force seemed to have bound them together. The blue glow of the ring slowly began to fade and when it was gone the invisible force holding them together disappeared as well. Marcus staggered back several steps, his skin buzzing with power. "What was that?" He demanded, shaking his hands. They felt hot, like they were burning. Yet at the same time they were cool to the touch.

"My Moon Ring." Cleo gasped, staring down at her ring. Marcus glanced over at the ring and his eyes widened. The stone was crumbling away into a black powder, spilling onto the sand. "What did you do?!"

Marcus held up his hands. "I didn't do anything." He said honestly. "I swear."

Cleo's hand shot out and Marcus felt the familiar sensation of magic around him. He blinked. _He could feel the magic._ He raised his own hand in defense, and he repelled the magic Cleo sent at him. He began to laugh then, a happy, relieved laugh. "How did you do that?" Cleo demanded, her magic still pushing against Marcus's.

"I don't know!" Marcus said honestly, the magic was hot beneath his skin. It was intoxicating. He wanted more, he wanted to feel more of that power. His gaze darted to Mako and a smile slowly spread across his face. He shrugged off Cleo's power with a flick of his wrist and sent her staggering backwards. He walked to the water and waded in until he was waist deep. He felt the familiar sensation on his legs the second that the water touched his skin. In no time his tail had returned and he was speeding towards Mako.


	39. Storm

Marcus's skin was buzzing with power as he stepped onto the shores of Mako. Magical energy surged just beneath his skin. _More._ He found himself thinking almost desperately. _More._ He looked up at the moon and felt the magical energy it seemed to exude. He needed to be closer. He set off into the jungle heading straight for the highest cliffs on Mako. Already he could feel the magic beginning to settle beneath his skin. It was almost as though it was no longer the infinite resource that it had been before.

Marcus climbed up the cliffs, his eyes locked on the moon. He didn't pay attention to where he placed his hands and he truly didn't care. By some miracle he managed to make his way to the top of the cliffs. He stood up tall and spread his arms out to his side. The moonlight pushed against his skin, the magical energy slowly absorbing into his flesh. Marcus's breath was harsh and his heart seemed to be racing a mile a minute. His skin grew uncomfortably hot and every breath seemed like he was drawing in ice. But he barely noticed the conditions. He didn't even notice when his legs gave way. He could only feel the magic, the only thing that _mattered_ was the magic. He needed to draw in as much as he could, though he couldn't begin to guess why.

His whole began to shake. It started as a gentle tremble but soon he was wracked with spasms. He fell back onto the stone, his right arm outstretched towards the moon. He gave another involuntary spasm and the back of his head hit the rock. The shock of the impact and the pain it brought somehow managed to pull Marcus from his moonstruck reverie. He began to cough violently as he drew in another breath that seemed to be filled with ice. He clawed at the skin at his throat in a vain attempt to alleviate the burning. The moon no longer seemed as friendly as it had only seconds before. Now that Marcus had broken through the moon spell he became aware of a soundless voice calling for him. It told him to continue to absorb the energy of the moon. "Not a chance." Marcus growled. He didn't know if the voice could even 'hear' but he'd had enough. The Moon Pool shown below him, but he knew that he couldn't risk falling into those waters. Not with whatever was happening to him. Which left only two options. Let the voice have its way and continue absorbing the magic of the moon or fight it. There really wasn't a choice as far as Marcus was concerned. The magic he had absorbed seemed to be pressurized inside of his body, like a balloon that was reaching its limit. He wasn't sure how but Marcus began to summon a storm. It hadn't been his wish, he had only wanted to conjure up a few clouds to cover the moon, but the storm was what he summoned nonetheless. This storm was not some small thunderstorm either. Lightning crackled around the island and gale force winds ripped through the air. A torrential downpour of rain began to pour from the sky. And yet even having summoned such a storm the magical pressure that had built up inside of Marcus was barely diminished. His focus was centered on the storm around him so he did not see the Moon Pool began to bubble and glow.

Standing in the middle of the storm with wind whipping heavy rain droplets through the air, Marcus should have been soaked to the bone. His tail should have appeared and he should have fallen to the stone. But he didn't. He was dry. The rain seemed bend around him almost as if the water had abandoned him. He fell to his knees and stared up at the dark clouds that hung overhead.

Below, in the Moon Pool, seven merpeople emerged and cast their eyes upwards. A lightning illuminated the sky and they were able to make out the outline of Marcus against the dark background for just a moment before the light faded away and Marcus disappeared. "What's going on?" Zach was forced to shout to be heard above the roar of the storm. "How is he doing this?"

"It must be the chamber." Rita shouted back. "It must have been using him to absorb magic."

"When Rikki, Emma, and I first got our powers we did something similar to this." Cleo shouted. "We had no control over ourselves."

"How do we stop him?" Ondina asked. "And what's happening to the Moon Pool? The water feels like it does on the full moon. But the full moon isn't until tomorrow."

"I think the Moon Pool wants us to stop him!" Rita shouted. "We are at our most powerful when the moon is full. The moon pool must be drawing all the energy it can from the moon right now."

"What do we do?" Cleo demanded. "How can we stop this?"

"Fight magic with magic!" Rita told them. "Focus on controlling the storm! Marcus might be extremely powerful right now, but there are seven of us. And by the feel of his magic I don't think he is trying to control it. It feels like he is just trying to expend a large amount of magic all at once and it manifested into a storm."

The six mermaids and one merman raised their hands skyward and began to combat Marcus's magic with their own. Marcus felt the other's magic immediately, felt it begin to push back his own. The storm seemed to sputter and begin to die. Marcus didn't fight it. He felt burnt out, hollow, as if the magic had burned him up from the inside and left nothing but a husk behind. He still had magic, the burning was still there, but it had been vastly depleted. During the course of conjuring the storm Marcus had discovered that conjuring bolts of lightning took a tremendous amount of magical power. The rain had been reduced to a small shower and the wind was a gentle breeze. Marcus slowly got to his feet and looked up at the sky. The cloud's dissipated and the moon slowly appeared. Marcus felt the magic immediately seep into his skin. "I don't want it." He said suddenly. Like the parting of the clouds in the sky, he was suddenly struck with a moment of clarity. "I don't want any of it."

He didn't want any of the memories that he no longer shared with anyone but himself. He thought back to how Ondina and Mimi had tried to take his memories so long ago. With the power of the moon at his beck and call Marcus was certain that he could pull off the spell, no matter the cost. He put his hands to his head and he quite literally pulled the memories out of his head. He blinked, no longer certain where he was or what he doing. The memories and the magic that went with them had to go somewhere however. And the closest bodies were the ones in the Moon Pool.


	40. Nice to Meet You

"Hey…. Marcus? Hey!"

He heard someone calling his name, but he didn't recognize the voice. He didn't even know where he was. He felt sand beneath his head rubbing against the flesh of his neck so he assumed he was on a beach somewhere. What was more disconcerting however was that Marcs did not remember ever going to a beach. In fact he remembered very little of anything. He remembered his name obviously and he remembered heading to the island off the coast for some exploring but everything after that became a blur.

The girl from before was speaking again. "Marcus! Wake up!" He felt something cold splash against his face and he shot into an upright position thoroughly surprising the blonde haired girl who had been leaning over him.

He shook his head vigorously and blinked. He quickly swept his eyes around the area and found to his surprise that he and the blonde girl were the only ones there. "Uh… Do I know you?" He asked politely. He got to his feet and patted his feet for any signs of injuries. To his relief he found none.

"Do you… remember anything?" She asked delicately. "Do you remember me?"

"Considering I just asked who you were…. No." Marcus offered her a hand and she took it. His heart sped up slightly at her touch but he dismissed the feeling. "Sorry. Not great with names."

"I guess Rita was right." Ondina sighed. "You really did get rid of your memories."

 _Okay. Crazy. I can work with crazy._ Marcus thought to himself. "Yeah. Memories. So crazy question, how did you get here? Where's your boat? Moreover what am _I_ doing here?"

She blew out a disappointed sigh and shrugged. "You swam." She said simply. "I found you on top of the cliffs. It looked like you climbed up there."

Marcus glanced over at the cliffs towering over the island, illuminated by the moonlight. "They don't look that hard to climb. That part I believe. But I remember taking a boat over here… I borrowed it from a guy named Arthur."

"No." She shook her head. "You swam. You borrowed the boat the first time that you came here and a few times after that. But then you started to swim here."

"Look, I don't know what's going on here." Marcus said. "But that's a several _mile_ swim. I'm a good swimmer, but I'm not that good."

"Maybe not now." She said. She stepped forward and very gently cupper his cheek with her hand. Her green eyes were absolutely captivating and Marcus found himself entrapped in their emerald depths. They were familiar. He was certain that he did not know her, but those eyes knew him. Of that he was certain. "But you were. You could make that swim easily."

"You know me." His words were quiet, yet filled with the confidence of the statement. "But I don't know you. Why?"

It was such a simple question to Marcus and yet he could tell from her eyes that it was nowhere near as simple to her. "Because you wanted to forget." She told him. "No, that's not right. Because you _needed_ to forget. For your sake and for ours you had to let go. You sacrificed a part of who you are to protect something you weren't even supposed to have to protect."

The truth rang in her words, strong and steadfast. Marcus had no choice but to accept her words as such and yet they still made little sense to him. "Who are you?" He asked.

"My name is Ondina." She told him. Her hand dropped from his face and she took his hand in hers. "I… we…"

"Were we… together?" Marcus asked hesitantly.

"I don't know." She said honestly. "Evie says that we were, but we never really acted like the others do."

"The others?" Marcus inquired. He brushed his thumb along the top of her hand as they continued their contact.

"Our friends." Ondina explained. "Zach and Evie. Serena and David. Mimi and Chris. Cam and Carly. I don't suppose that you remember them either?"

"I'm sorry." Marcus said disappointedly. "The last thing I remember was heading towards this island. The next thing I know you are there waking me up and telling me all of this. Why can't I remember any of this?"

"Rita says that memories of magic are just as powerful as magic itself." Ondina said quietly. "By getting rid of your memories, and the magic attached to them, you were able to throw off the effects of the merman chamber."

"Merman chamber? Magic?" Marcus felt like his head was spinning. Magic didn't exist, everyone knew that. Yet if that was so then why was he still standing here with this girl, accepting every word she said as absolute truth? "I don't…"

"When you cast off your memories they had no place to go. They attached themselves to the others and I." Ondina looked back towards the cliffs, though her eyes were somewhere else. "The magic that had been storing itself inside you was expelled back into the island. When we managed to get you down you had lost consciousness. We didn't know what would happen to you after being exposed to such a strong concentration of magic like that. You weren't… Magic was not natural to you as it is me. Rita thinks that too much of it could have been burning you out. You instinctively knew that the magic was killing you so you did everything you could to get rid of it."

"I had magic?" Now his head was really spinning. Now that he was totally lucid he felt the gaps in his memory, almost like a hole in his mind. He knew something should go there and yet for the life of him he could not remember. It was like someone had taken a knife and cut out the memories with surgeon like precision. "If you are my friend why didn't you help me?"

"The memories I have right now are not my own." Ondina said delicately. "As I said before, the memories needed someplace to go. Raw magic is… dangerous. They attached themselves to us. Your memories. Every thought, emotion, and experience that you have had since you first arrived here are now with all of us."

"Assuming that all of this is true, how many people were my memories broken into? I had only one set of memories." Marcus was not arguing, not in the slightest. In fact he still could not take his eyes off of Ondina and she was similarly bound to him.

"The memories attached themselves to the ones who had the most significance in them. The memories of you and Zach's walks to school went to him. The memories of Rita speaking with you in private went to her. Your memories of our time spent together… they came to me. While we were waiting for you to wake up we pieced together your memories so all of us had a somewhat clear picture."

"My head is a scary place." Marcus murmured to her. His free hand came up and tucked her blonde hair behind her ear. "I hope my memories weren't all that bad."

"They were…." Ondina searched for words to describe what she had felt when she discovered the depth to which Marcus actually cared for her. "They were telling."

Marcus winced. "Not really something you want to hear from someone who has seen into your thoughts."

"In a good way." Ondina hurriedly added. "I was never really sure that you were happy when you were around me."

"Well, I can't say if I did or didn't before." Marcus shrugged. "But I like being around you right now. Is that worth something?"

"If I know you, and I do, that's worth a lot." Ondina tugged at his hand and led him down the beach. "Come on. Let's head back to Rita's house. The others will want to know you are alright."

"Still don't have a boat." Marcus reminded her. He frowned slightly when she released his hand and backed into the water.

Ondina smiled at him and gestured for him to wait on the sand. Marcus stopped just short of the water and stood there, puzzled, as Ondina fell backwards under the water's surface. She resurfaced a few feet away and waved to Marcus. "Were you serious about swimming back?" Marcus called, cupping his hands over his mouth for added volume.

"Of course!" Ondina laughed. She flipped beneath the surface and Marcus's eyes widened in shock when a bronze fish's tail slapped against the surface of the water. She resurfaced and beckoned for him with one finger.

"A mermaid." Marcus said as he waded into the water. "She's a mermaid. With magic. Apparently I'm dating a mermaid. Huh. Go figure."

 **Hello my readers,**

 **I apologize for the second leave of absence. I have written and rewritten this particular chapter several times because I wanted to set up future chapters. That combined with another project I have been working on I have been rather swamped. My most sincere apologies. You can expect regular updates from here on. As always, thank you so much for your reviews and thoughts. You are the best. -Hallowed**


	41. Recollection

The water was shockingly cold against his skin. He fought off a shudder as he waded out until he was lightly treading water. Ondina was directly in front of him, her eyes alight with something he could not identify. It was almost as if she was waiting for something to happen. Marcus's legs were heavy as he continued to kick at the water with his shoes on. "W-w-what now?" He asked through slightly chattering teeth. "A-are you going to magic me there?"

Ondina was quiet. She swam around Marcus in a very slow circle clearly searching for something. "Why aren't you transforming?" She muttered quietly. "Rita said you should still be able to. Then again… you were only able to transform before after you absorbed the energy from Cleo's Moon Ring…" She lifted her hand and placed it against his skin again. He leaned into her touch before he had even realized what he was doing.

"Transformed?" Marcus questioned. "What do you mean?"

Ondina looked at his eyes then and frowned suddenly. "Your eyes…." She said uncertainly. She leaned in closer to examine them. "They've changed."

"My eyes?" Marcus reached for his phone instinctively and then groaned when he remembered that the device was still in his pocket, which was now underwater. "Great. Now I need to buy a new one."

"Come on." Ondina said finally, taking his hand. "I'll go slowly don't worry."

"Uh… Yeah… sure." When she began to pull him beneath the water he took a deep breath right before his head was submerged. It only then occurred to him that he had just followed a mermaid into the ocean. He remembered reading something at some point that said mermaids used to lure men into the sea to drown and devour them. _Probably not one of my wisest decisions._ Marcus reflected as she pulled him ever deeper.

She turned to him then and grabbed his face with both hands. Marcus was so surprised that his breath left his lungs all at once. Bubbles rose to the surface and momentarily obscured his vision of Ondina. When the bubbles cleared he saw that she was much closer to him now and drawing even closer. The kiss they shared then was deeper than the one before and Marcus realized with a start that his lungs were no longer crying for air. Ondina drew away and grabbed his hand once more. She pantomimed gripping her hand tightly and Marcus obliged. She turned back to the land and Marcus's arm was nearly ripped from its socket when they shot off through the water like a harpoon. Marcus was forced to close his eyes from the sheer water pressure and he found himself hoping that Ondina was not similarly handicapped. The swim could not have been more than a minute but it seemed to take forever to Marcus. Strangely he never had the urge to breathe again.

When Ondina finally slowed down Marcus opened his eyes again just in time to see them emerge in a small underground cave of sorts. They were not alone however. Around the pool stood a number of people, none of whom seemed shocked to see Ondina with a mermaid's tail. Marcus grabbed onto the edge of the pool and pulled himself out, offering a hand to Ondina. She gratefully accepted and he gently helped her out of the pool. "So that tail…" Marcus said slowly. "Do you like…. Shed it off?"

"Not quite." Ondina laughed gently. She put a hand over her scales and a small amount of steam begin to pour off of them. "I'm magical, remember?"

"I think that I might not be able to forget it." Marcus admitted. He looked to the others, who had been silently watching him up to that point, and inclined his head in greeting. "Uh. Hi."

"It's good to see you Marcus." An older looking woman said warmly. "Do you…?

"He doesn't." Ondina's voice was sad. "I already tried. He can't transform either. I thought you said that his magic would remain unaffected?"

"I assumed that it would." The woman said. "There was nothing there to lead me to believe otherwise."

"Someone care to explain to me what you two are talking about?" Marcus wondered. "Who are you guys anyways?"

"Oh… that's right." The old woman turned her attention back to Marcus. "My name is Rita." She quickly introduced the others, all of whom greeted Marcus like old friends.

"Nice to meet all of you… Again apparently." Marcus chuckled lightly. The room was tense, almost like they were waiting for him to suddenly remember something. Ondina got to her feet and claimed his hand in hers once more. He glanced over at her and she winked at him. "Ondina was telling me that you all have some of my memories now…. I would like it to be noted that I will not take responsibility for anything I thought."

They blinked as one and then they erupted into laughter as one. A moment later, Marcus joined in on the mirth. "Welcome back buddy." Zach said, wiping a tear of laughter out of his eye.

"It's good to be back… I think." Marcus offered. "Still kind of unclear on the whole memory loss thing."

"I must say Marcus, after having seen the way your mind works I am surprised that you accepted all of this so quickly." Rita admitted. "You haven't yet questioned anything or looked for a gap in our story."

"Well, seeing a girl who claims to know you turn into a mermaid kinda puts a damper on that." Marcus shrugged. "Besides, she was telling the truth. I can-."

"You can tell when someone is lying." Evie chimed in. She smiled at him with just a touch of wickedness in her grin. "One of the memories I got kind of explained that."

"Well now I am worried. My secrets are being exploited one by one." Marcus sighed. "Next thing you know you will come across my plans for world domination. But back to a different matter, what did you mean when you said that I _didn't_ transform? Did you mean I used to be able to?"

"Until very, very recently, yes." Rita nodded. "Just earlier today in fact. You were one of us, a merman."

"Alright. What happened?" Marcus asked. He had hoped that the answer would have been a simple one, but he quickly figured out from their expressions that it would be anything but. "That bad, huh?"

"Well, you have a right to know." Rita sighed. "It all began-."

She was cut off when Marcus raised a hand, forestalling her explanation. "Forget about it. I changed my mind."

"What do you mean?" Mimi asked. "Don't you want to know what happened to you?"

"Ondina said that I was the one who chose to ditch those memories." Marcus explained. "I mean… If I chose to dump those memories I must have had a reason, right? I don't do things without thinking them through usually. If I got rid of them I think I'll keep them gone. I have-." He bit off the words before he could say the rest. He had Ondina. He didn't need anything else. He glanced back over at her and he saw that the unspoken words rang loud and clear for the blonde haired mermaid.

"Are you sure Marcus?" Rita asked.

"Yeah." He nodded firmly. "I am. Besides, that's the great thing about memories. We can always make more."


	42. Trouble

"Were you two out swimming?" Mimi asked exasperatedly. "Again?"

"I don't think that I need to answer that." Marcus said as he pulled himself out of the pool of Rita's grotto. He helped Ondina out of the pool again and grabbed a towel that was hanging on the edge of the stone bench and dried off his chest and head. "I mean… the answer is pretty evident."

"You didn't go to school again, did you?" Mimi asked disapprovingly. "You know Rita is going to be upset."

"Yeah." Marcus said at length. "I know. Worth it though."

"I agree." Ondina said happily when her legs returned. "We found some more of that seaweed that you love." She told Mimi.

"Where?" Mimi asked immediately, her previous annoyance completely gone.

"A few miles past Mako. Right under that cold water current that runs under the trench." Ondina told her. "I would have grabbed you some, but I thought that you would want to go by yourself."

"Thanks." Mimi said cheerfully. When Ondina and Marcus began to walk away she called, "Where are you two going?"

"The café, wanna go?" Marcus asked.

"Oh. No thanks. I think I will go visit Chris at the waterpark actually." Mimi said absentmindedly.

"Have fun with that." Ondina told her, winking.

They strode out of Rita's house hand in hand and walked into a very surprised looking Zach. "Oh. Marcus." He said, blinking in surprise. "I thought that you would be at school."

"Let me guess, you skipped too?" He chuckled. "What gives? A delinquent like myself can skip and no one bats an eye but you are a _good_ kid."

"Yeah, well, tonight is the full moon." Zach said uncomfortably. "Just want to make sure we're ready."

"Nervous about something?" Ondina asked, tilting her head to one side. "You haven't been affected by the full moon in ages."

"I wasn't worried about me." Zach said delicately.

"Worried that the chamber might try something funny?" Marcus nodded. "That seems fair enough. I'll be with Ondina her tonight though, so don't worry. It will be easy to keep an eye on me."

It had been a month since the day Marcus had lost his memories and he had enjoyed every single day. It had taken him a little while to get used to, but he quickly figured out why they had been his friends before. He also knew why he had grown so fond of Ondina. She was, in a word, amazing. She was also infuriating beyond all capacity for rational thought.

"Are we really going to the café?" Ondina asked curiously. "I thought that we were going back to your house to watch a movie."

"Oh we are." Marcus assured her. "But I don't want Mimi to know that. People talk you know."

"Talk about what?" Ondina wondered.

Marcus fixed her with a suspicious look. "Are you intentionally asking that so I'm forced to explain something potentially embarrassing? Or do you truly not know?"

Ondina winked at him. "I do not know what you are talking about."

Marcus scowled and tried to pull his hand out of her, but she only tightened her grip in response. "I am trying to protect your virtue in the public image." He declared, pleased that he had thought of a way to circumvent her wicked schemes.

"Meaning you don't want them to think that we are going to go have sex at your house." Ondina observed.

Marcus turned a bright shade of crimson and Ondina laughed. "I'm not sure it's safe for _me_ to be around a scoundrel such as yourself." He told her hotly.

Ondina appeared to consider that for a long moment. "Maybe not." She said after her consideration. "Although I do not know what your aversion to such topics are. We girls speak about such things-."

"I DO NOT WANT TO KNOW." Marcus said clearly, putting a hand firmly over her mouth. "No. Stop it. _You_ might be celebrating our however many month anniversary but I-." He yowled in pain when Ondina bit the hand he had placed over her mouth.

"I was just teasing you." She told him, though her eyes were sparkling wickedly. "Sort of. You would be surprised at the conversations we have about you guys."

"No I really wouldn't. Not anymore at least." Marcus stepped lightly up his front porch and searched for the key in the plant. He found the item he had been searching for and unlocked his house, inviting Ondina inside with a broad sweeping gesture. She laughed and stepped inside and Marcus closed the door behind them. Ondina sauntered over to the couch and took a seat. Marcus grabbed the remote from where he had left it lying on the end table by the couch and fell onto the seat beside her. Ondina immediately kicked her legs up and leaned against his shoulder as he hit play on the movie. Marcus put his arm around her and chuckled when she looked at him accusingly. The title of the movie he had picked for them was _Siren Song_.

"I thought you would appreciate the irony." He told her, fighting hard not to laugh. "I mean it makes sense."

"That is not funny." Ondina scowled and poked him in the ribs. "A mermaid movie? Really?"

"Don't even start with me. We can make fun of it. Or you can at least." He added. "I think this might be educational for me. Some poor love-struck guy falls for a mermaid. He must not have been very bright."

"Or the mermaid is really something else." Ondina countered.

"Oh, she is. Beautiful, smart, but kind of full of herself." Marcus nodded. "Poor guy never had a chance."

"Well, even if he did have a chance mermaids have always had ways of getting what they want." Ondina said, shrugging. "If she really wanted him then she would have gotten him no matter what."

"You sound confident about that." Marcus remarked.

"I'm not confident. It's a statement of fact. Land boys will always fall for mermaid charm." Ondina turned her most dazzling smile on him and Marcus was forced to concede her point as his heartbeat skyrocketed.

"Is that a fact?" He murmured. He absentmindedly stroked her hair and noted that she smelled of the sea as always.

"You tell me." Ondina shrugged.

The movie wasn't very good at all. But they were barely watching as they continued to banter back and forth with another. Before they knew it the credits had finished rolling and they looked at the TV in surprise. "Oh." Marcus blinked.

"You kept me from watching the movie." Ondina said accusingly, standing up from the couch. She stretched and suddenly leaned over, quickly giving Marcus a kiss.

He smiled at her and raised an eyebrow as she sashayed away. _Careful Marcus,_ He told himself as he followed her out his door. _This one might give you some trouble._

But it just so happened that he loved trouble.


	43. Moonstruck

"So you are feeling okay, right Marcus?" Rita asked, "No odd sensations or feelings of being called somewhere?"

"No." Marcus said tiredly. "Just like when you asked me the other seventeen times. I feel fine."

They had gathered in Rita's hidden cave and everyone had been keeping a very close eye on Marcus. He on the other hand was lounging casually on the stone couch, a glass of water in his hand. As near as he could tell it was near the middle of the night and therefore nearing the time when the moon would call to him. They were taking no risks it seemed, each of the girls had a Moon Ring on their finger. They had decided to keep Marcus in the bottom of Rita's grotto all night just in case the moon had some lingering effects on him.

"Rita, five minutes." Zach said warningly as he checked his phone. The others stirred restlessly, their eyes fervently darting to where Marcus sat.

He yawned and stretched, his back making several satisfying pops. In his movement he inadvertently knocked over his glass of water from where he had set it on the couch's ledge. He reached for it instinctively and winced as he waited for the sound of shattering glass. When it didn't happen he peered over the edge and raised his eyebrows when he saw the glass hovering gently in the air.

The others had similar expressions of astonishment and Marcus winced. "I don't suppose that any of you did that, did you?" He asked hopefully. Their expressions were the only answer he needed. "Didn't think so."

"You need to control yourself right now, Marcus." Rita told him seriously. "The last time you had magic you managed to conjure a typhoon. If you were to do something similar here I'm not sure that any of us would survive."

"So no magic." He surmised. He frowned and scratched the back of his head. "Problem is I didn't really mean to catch that glass to begin with."

"What would happen if we poured water on him?" Ondina asked interestedly.

"I do not know." Rita said honestly. "But I don't think that it would be very wise to find out."

"I don't think I would look good with a-." Marcus's voice trailed off and his mind went blank.

"Marcus?" Rita asked warily, gesturing for the others to ready themselves.

"Hm." He said as he pushed to his feet. "Interesting."

"Marcus…?" Ondina asked warily. "Are you alright?"

"I think so." He said slowly. "I feel… different."

"Different how?" She pressed, stepping closer tentatively.

"I don't know how to describe it." He admitted. "But… I feel _wrong_ right now. Like I shouldn't be where I'm at. I should be in the sea."

"Marcus, you must resist the call of the Chamber." Rita told him.

"I don't feel anything calling to me." He admitted. "I just feel wrong. Like I'm not where I should be… I'm not _what_ I should be." He gazed longingly at the water and even took a hesitant step forward.

"It's the moon." Ondina realized. "It's not the Chamber that's calling to him, it's the moon! I think it's trying to get control of him from the merman chamber."

"That's quite a conclusion to jump to Ondina." Rita said disbelievingly.

"She might be right actually." Zach said hesitantly. "During my first full moon I felt like there were two different places calling to me. One was the trident pool and the other was the ocean itself."

"So why is the moon calling to him now?" Rita asked, clearly still not believing their thoughts.

Marcus suddenly shook his head vigorously and blinked. "Whoa." He said, sitting back down on the couch and cradling his head in his hands. "That was weird."

"What happened Marcus?" Zach asked.

"I really don't know." Marcus said as he squeezed his eyes shut. He felt dizzy, like he had just stood up too fast. "One second I felt fine and the next I felt like someone had thrown a rope around me and started pulling."

"Rita?" Ondina seemed to be searching for an answer. "You know that we should try it. He deserves a chance."

"It's dangerous." Rita warned her. "If he gains the same amount of power that he had before we won't be able to stop him."

"What are you two talking about?" Marcus asked, frowning.

Ondina didn't answer. She raised her hand and directed her moon ring at the pool of water in the grotto. A small orb of water rose up and levitated in the air. With a sudden flick of her wrist Ondina sent the water flying towards Marcus. He sputtered back as the water crashed over his face and filled his mouth. He spit out the salt water and scowled at the blonde haired mermaid. "What was that for?" He demanded, wiping the water off of his face.

She said nothing. She stared at him for a long moment and then gave a slightly disappointed sigh. "I guess not." She said.

"It was worth a try." Rita assured her, though she didn't sound certain. "But I think that we should keep experiments like that to a minimum."

Ondina sighed and the others finally relaxed. She walked over to sit next to Marcus and he looked up in confusion. "Oh, hi." He said with a smile.

"Hi." She returned the smile, but hers was filled with sadness.

"Something wrong?" He inquired, taking her hand in his own.

"No… it's just… I thought that maybe you would transform again." She sighed. "I thought that maybe you would get your powers back on the full moon. It was a long shot, but I just hoped…"

"Any reason in particular you wanted me to get my powers back?" He asked, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

"It's just… something Zach said a while ago." She looked away and Marcus sent Zach a questioning look. He shook his head and raised his hands in an _I-don't-know_ gesture.

"What did he say?" Marcus asked.

"You humans only have one more year of school left after this year." Ondina told him. "After that who knows where you will go?"

"Where would I go?" Marcus laughed. "Well, okay, to be fair I _could_ go anywhere."

"Are you going to?" Ondina asked him in a whisper.

Marcus looked her in the eyes and saw that she was hanging on to his every word. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers. "I'm not going anywhere without you." He murmured to her. "I might not have powers, or a tail, or anything like that… But as long as you want me around I'm not going anywhere."

"How can you be so certain?" Ondina asked him.

"Because whether you realize it or not, you caught me in your Siren Song." Marcus told her sincerely. "My heart belongs to you Ondina."

 **And now we have one chapter more closer to the end of this story. Three chapters remaining. -Hallowed**


	44. Hello and Goodbye

The next full moon was much less eventful that the first had been since Marcus had lost the memory. The calling that he had experienced was greatly reduced. The full moon following that was even less difficult. Now, as the sixth full moon since he had lost his memory passed by, Marcus felt absolutely no effects. In fact, the group was so certain that Marcus was completely clean of all after-effects of being exposed to the moon's power that they were all stretched out on the beach enjoying the evening. "Nice night." Marcus commented, stretching out on the sand. He had his head on Ondina's lap and he grinned up at her. "Beautiful view."

"It's not bad." She said, gazing out at the stars. But her mouth twitched in a smile and Marcus knew that she had caught his attempt at flattery. "Nice night for a swim."

"Maybe." He agreed. "What do you guys think?" He glanced over to the others with the question in his eyes.

"Well, I don't have to be home early." Zach offered, his arm around Evie's shoulders. "I'm for it."

"I have to be at work at the park at dawn." Chris said regretfully. "So unless it's going to be a short swim…. I'm out."

"Aw come on." Evie told him. She threw a handful of sand at him and hit both he and Mimi. "You two always go off on your own. I know you two have your private lives, but come on. Have some restraint."

Even under the dim light of the moon everyone present could see Chris and Mimi blush crimson. The group howled in laughter as they struggled and stuttered to defend themselves. "You know, you have no room to talk." Marcus told Evie slyly. "Don't think I haven't noticed that you've been spending _a lot_ of time at Zach's house."

Now it was Evie and Zach's turn to blush. They laughed again and Evie scowled. "Come on Ondina," She said pleadingly, "Say something! You have to give me some sort of dirt on you two."

"Too bad there is none." Marcus grinned wickedly. "We're an open book."

"I have spent a few nights at his house." Ondina offered. "Is that what you want to know?"

"Yes, but what did you _do_?" Evie asked eagerly. "You have to give me some more details."

"We watched movies." Ondina said uncertainly. "To what are _you_ referring to?"

"Yeah, what are you talking about?" Marcus asked innocently, running his hand across Ondina's in boredom.

"So are we going for this swim or not?" Ondina asked. She stood up, unceremoniously dumping Marcus onto the sand. He glared up at her and she winked at him. She offered a hand and he grabbed it with a playful smile. She pulled him to his feet and he swooped in to give her a quick kiss.

Marcus stepped back and threw his shirt off, not caring where it landed. "Come on!" He called as he ran out into the waves. He dove beneath the water and was followed seconds later by Ondina. The others hesitated only a few moments more before they joined the two with the exception of Chris and Mimi. They watched their friends disappear into the sea before they departed the beach hand in hand.

Under the water, Marcus was being pulled along by Ondina as they sped along the sea floor. He had long since become accustomed to the rapid undersea travel that mermaids and mermen were privy to, though he wasn't necessarily a fan. They only stopped speed traveling when they had arrived at the reef. Fish of every different color darted in and out of the coral and plants they lived in. Zach and Evie swam off on their own leaving Ondina and Marcus to explore the reef on their own. A rather brave moray eel ventured out of its home and came to investigate the human intruding on the reef. It circled Marcus, swimming in and out his legs and arms before it returned to its home in the reef. Marcus looked grinningly back to Ondina, but his smile faltered when he saw the intensity with which she was looking at him. It wasn't anger in her eyes though, it was passion. She glided through the water and pulled Marcus close. They embraced and Marcus lost himself in her touch. He was vaguely aware of them moving through the water, but he didn't care. His hands roamed up and down her back freely, occasionally moving through her hair as it hung suspended in the water. When she finally released him he was startled to realize that they had somehow drifted against the sea floor. Ondina's hair formed a golden halo around her head as the moonlight slipped beneath the water.

Things between him and Ondina had only gotten better in the months since the full moon. Despite the obvious difficulties they faced with being from two different worlds they had been able to make it work. Marcus, who had always been alone, was bound well and truly by the beautiful mermaid. She filled the gap inside of him that had been there so long he had considered it to be natural. Ondina, who had never fully trusted anyone, could not imagine life without Marcus. She had seen his thoughts and his memories. Those of all things could not lie, something she knew very well. They laid on the bottom of the ocean for a long time, simply drinking in each other's presence. Neither were aware of the passage of time until Zach interrupted them. He had grabbed onto a dolphin and was grinning as the animal sped by with him in tow. The dolphin's passage turned up the sand and the moment between he and Ondina was broken. Evie appeared a few moments later with a similar mode of transportation. Ondina tugged gently at Marcus's hand and pointed towards the shore. Marcus nodded in response and they shot off without a word to Evie or Zach. When Marcus could walk he took Ondina into his arms and carried her past the waves. He laid her gently on the sand so that she could dry off her tail and went to search for his shirt. When he discovered it Ondina had just gotten her legs back. "Well, where to?" Marcus asked, though he was certain he knew the answer.

"Let's go back to your house." Ondina told him, her voice equal parts dusky and breathless.

Marcus did not question it. He led the way, taking her hand in his own. Apparently that was not satisfactory to Ondina as she threaded her arm through his, moving ever closer to him. "So, what movie did you want to watch?" He asked, the words having difficulty in moving past the lump that had formed in his throat.

She smiled mysteriously and leaned in closer. "I don't want to watch a movie." She whispered in his ear.

It took Marcus several moments to remember how to breathe. Remembering how to speak took an even longer amount of time. When they stepped onto his front porch he had only just reclaimed his ability to speak. He gazed at the door numbly, something inside of him warning him that something was wrong. He locked the door every time he left the house unless Ondina had wanted to crash at his house. But he was certain that he had locked it before heading to the beach. In addition to that, the light to his living room was on and he could see two bodies sitting on his couch through the window. He pushed open the door warily and stepped inside. Ondina was only a step behind him, her Moon Ring glowing gently as she sensed something wrong.

Marcus's mouth dropped open when he recognized the two people sitting on his couch. "Marcus!" Her mother said, rising gracefully from the couch and moving to gently hug him. His father was only a few steps behind, putting a hand awkwardly on his shoulder. "So good to see you!"

"Mom?" He asked disbelievingly. "Dad? What are you two doing here?"

"Do parents need an excuse to visit their child?" His mother asked chidingly.

 _Considering the amount of time that I have seen you in the past couple years? Absolutely._ Marcus didn't say as much, but he wanted to all the same. "No, sorry… you just surprised me."

"Well I am glad to hear it!" His mother beamed at him, clearly mistaking his shock for joy. "How have you been? And who is this… young lady?" Her smile faltered as she beheld Ondina and her sand caked appearance.

Instantly, Marcus felt his temper rise and he scowled. "I've been fine." He said coldly. "And this is Ondina. My girlfriend." His tone dared them to say a word to her detriment.

"It's nice to meet you." Ondina smiled politely and offered a hand.

"Yes of course." His mother shook her hand quickly and released it just as fast. "Marcus, would you mind telling your friend to give us a moment? I'm not sure that it's entirely proper for you to have a… lady over this late anyways."

"Do you want to leave?" He asked Ondina pointedly.

"Not really." She said after reading his eyes.

"Well, that settles that." Marcus said firmly.

"Let's try this again." His father stepped forward. "Marcus, tell your friend good night. Your mother and I need to speak with you. In private."

"If she goes I go with her." Marcus said bluntly, hardly believing his words. He wasn't the type of son to so openly oppose his parents. Whenever he disagreed with them he rebelled through subterfuge and other underhanded methods.

His parents visibly recoiled as though his words had struck a physical blow against them. "Erm… very well." His mother said after a moment. "We have something we need to discuss with you. Good news actually."

Traditionally, news that his parents considered good was bad news to him. His father was quick to prove Marcus's suspicion correct. "We just acquired a chain of large scale convenience stores." He said proudly. "It just so happens that the owners of said company were very amicable to the merger. They even have a daughter about your age. She attends a very prestigious boarding school-."

"No." Marcus had already made up his mind before he had even finished listening to his father. "Not a chance. I'm not leaving here, I'm not leaving _her_." He glanced back to Ondina who had a worried frown on her face.

"Marcus, I'm afraid that I must insist." His mother said, feigning reluctance. "This is a very big deal, I'm sure that your friend will understand."

"I'm not leaving." Marcus repeated. "I have _friends_ here. I have a job. The school year is almost over and I have plans for this summer. I'm not leaving just because there's some girl you want me to get with just so you can get some favors with some rich guy."

"She is not just _some_ girl." His mother told him reassuringly. "She is from a very nice family. I'm sure that Olivia-"

"Ondina." Marcus snapped venomously.

"Ondina will understand." She looked to Ondina for confirmation. "Isn't that right dear? You want what is best for my son?"

"I do." Ondina said uncertainly, glancing at Marcus.

Something inside Marcus snapped at that moment. The last of his loyalty to his parents. "She is what is best for me." He said coolly. "This place is what is best for me. You two? You two are not what is best for me."

"Watch your mouth." His father warned him. "We still control your finances."

"Take a look at my spending history." Marcus advised him. "Tell me just how much of _your_ money I have spent in the past several months. You pay for my groceries. That's it."

"This is not up for discussion." His father said decisively. "You will be transferring schools or you will be cut off completely."

"Well…." Marcus mimicked thinking for a few moments. "That's not a hard choice."

"I'm glad that you understand-."

"Come on Ondina." Marcus turned around and strode out of the door with his chin held high. He knew his parents well enough to know that they always came through with their threats. By walking away from them he was effectively walking away from the life he had known. Ondina claimed his hand again and Marcus realized that he was completely okay with that. Mako was his life now, leaving the island was something he simply couldn't imagine.

"Are you sure?" Ondina seemed to grasp the significance of what he had just done.

"I'm sure." Marcus said confidently.

"If… if you want to leave you should." She told him quietly. "I don't want to make things difficult for you."

Marcus stopped where he was the second the words had left her mouth. She whirled around and he saw the pain in her eyes as she figured his stopping for his taking her up on the offer. She blinked in surprise when he leaned in and kissed her. It wasn't their most passionate kiss, nor their longest. But it was their most memorable. When Marcus finally broke off the contact he smiled at Ondina. "You already made things difficult for me." He told her honestly. "Every time that I look at you I am reminded of that. Because every time I look at you my heart does this weird little spasm. You are walking, living, and breathing _trouble._ But unfortunately for both of us, I love trouble. Almost as much as I love you."

It was the first time either of them had actually said it outright. They had danced around the edges of the word, but they had never actually said it. Ondina looked at him through guarded eyes for a long moment and Marcus began to wonder if she had _wanted_ him to leave. But the thought had only entered his mind when she reached forward and wrapped her hands up in his long brown hair. She pulled him close and touched her forehead to his. "You better believe that you won't ever be leaving if you stay now." Ondina warned him, her breath slightly shaky. "This is your one chance. If you stay then you are mine for the rest of time. I won't be able to let you go."

"I'm all yours." He grinned and kissed her nose. "You know, I'm kind of feeling vulnerable here. I said that I loved you…"

Ondina looked at him with something similar to outrage. "Do I have to actually say it?"

"Yes." Marcus nodded vigorously. "Only if you mean it though."

"Of course I love you." Ondina sniffed.

"Now was that so hard?" Marcus teased, taking her hand and moving down the street again.

"It was… nice." Ondina said grudgingly. "I shouldn't have had to say it. You should have known how I feel."

"Oh, I did." Marcus assured her. "But I also know how much you _hate_ being put on the spot."

"You did that just to tease me!" Ondina stated as it dawned on her.

"Yes. I absolutely did." Marcus smiled. His heart felt strangely light in his chest, though he was certain it should have been filled with worry and regret. Yet it felt as though a weight he had been carrying for a long time had finally been dropped.

 **Hello there my readers. I hope this finds you all well. I have recently had a few messages wondering why I am ending HTT. The long and the short of it is that I need a bit of time to somewhat refresh myself. I've been writing this so much I need to step back. This is not the end of Marcus and Ondina however. I will be continuing this story in a separate story. I have been toying around with ideas for the next story, and thus far I have(tentatively) settled on Find The Secret. A bit cliché I know. But nonetheless, only a chapter or two left with HTT. As always, thank you so much for your reviews. They mean the world to me. Be well. -Hallowed**


	45. Decision

"Thanks again for letting me stay here, Rita." Marcus told her gratefully for the umpteenth time that day.

"Marcus, I told you, it is my pleasure to have you here. Especially after all you have done for us." Rita told him. They were in her underground chamber and Marcus was assisting the older mermaid with some sort of preparation for the day's lesson. Marcus was up to his arms, literally mind you, in fluorescent yellow seaweed that insisted on attempting to strangle him. Rita had told him it was one of the few plants in the ocean that mermaids had trouble with. Marcus had very quickly figure out why when one of them tried to wrap itself around his throat. "Although I am sorry that it was not under better circumstances. Have your parents said anything to you?"

"No, and they won't." Of that, Marcus was confident. His parents would not have taken his blatant refusal and subsequent disrespect lightly. He had checked his bank account and discovered that a limit had been placed on it in the precise amount he used each week for groceries. _Jokes on them though,_ He thought wickedly, _I have another bank account you don't even know about. If your plan is to bankrupt me into submission you will have to wait a while. I have several million dollars to play with. And an island._

"Well, if you ask me they are being beyond childish." Rita scowled and pried a leaf of seaweed from the wall. "Having your child pulled from school simply to appease some other wealthy family?"

"It's just how they work." Marcus sighed. "But I'm not leaving Ondina. Not for the world."

Rita smiled uncertainly at him and sighed. "Marcus, sit down. I think that you and I should talk."

"Never in the history of the world has that statement ever followed with anything good." Marcus remarked, warily sitting down on the couch. He leaned back and crossed his arms as Rita sat down on a chair opposite him. "And I get the feeling that the streak won't be broken here."

"You understand that Ondina is a mermaid, correct?" Rita asked delicately.

Marcus feigned surprise and rolled his eyes. "Really? Huh, I wonder what gave it away. Was it the tail? I bet it was the tail."

"I can see that you have no intention of making this easy." Rita looked at him with some degree of annoyance.

Marcus shook his head immediately. "Absolute zero." He agreed happily.

"Yes, well," Rita seemed to gather her thoughts before speaking again. "What I meant by my question was that Ondina is a part of the sea. She belongs with the pod."

"Yeah, what's your point?" Marcus frowned.

"My point is that next year you will have finished your education at the high school." Rita told him. "What was your plan after that? Did you think that you and Ondina were going to go off to college somewhere?"

"Considering that she hasn't been to high school, I was pretty sure that idea was out." Marcus said fairly.

"Then what was your plan?" Rita asked. "Stay here? I certainly do not mind the added company, quite the opposite in fact, but Ondina would be put in a very difficult place. The pod is… not keen on human/mermaid relationships."

"So what would you want me to do?" Marcus asked warily. "Break up with her? Because I won't do that. Not after everything I've been through."

"I would never suggest that." Rita said immediately. "You and Ondina are just as good for one another as any pairing I have ever seen. You have been through so much in such a short time and you are still strong. No, I had in mind something different. Something I think you should speak with Ondina about. I have already spoken to her on the matter. She has agreed to abide by whatever decision you make."

"Is that why she rushed out of here today?" Marcus wondered. Ondina had given him a quick kiss on the lips and then told him in hurried tones that she had somewhere she needed to be. When he had inquired about her destination she had told him to mind his own business. "She _did_ seem sort of…. Worked up."

"Yes." Rita said. She leaned forward in her chair and looked Marcus directly in the eyes. "Marcus, you have proven time and time again that you can be trusted. If we harbored any doubts your own memories dispelled them for us."

"Oh, well…" He shrugged away the praise. "You guys took me in. You know, after poisoning me apparently."

Rita winced but she chuckled good-naturedly. "It was with good intentions." She assured him. "You were never in any danger."

"You know, poison generally implies danger." Marcus commented, but he smiled nonetheless. "But what's the big deal?"

"We, that is to say the others and I, we have been discussing something since your parents disowned you." Rita said delicately. "Something that you ultimately need to decide. Marcus, we want you to go back into the Moon Pool on the night of the next full moon."

Marcus felt a shock run up his spine and for a full minute he could not think. His mind was blank as it struggled to process Rita's words. He had heard what had happened the last time he was a merman, and he was in no hurry to cause the others the same trouble. "Why?" He managed to ask finally. The single word took a tremendous amount of willpower to force out, but it implied everything that he would have possibly wanted to ask.

"Because I honestly believe that you belong with people who care about you." Rita told him simply. "Your parents… Do not take this the wrong way but I sincerely do not believe that they care about you the way we do. We might not be a true pod, but the others and I consider you one of our own. We want you to have the ability to be with your family even after your schooling ends."

"What about Chris and David?" Marcus found that the words were coming easier now. He knew that both of them were at least as smitten by their girls as he was with Ondina. If he was being offered this alone he wanted to know why.

"We asked them as well." Rita told him. "They both turned us down. It seems that as much as they love Sirena and Mimi, they want to be able to live their lives as well."

"But why _me_?" Marcus tried again. "Last time things didn't end so well…"

"Last time you were changed by the Moon and the Moon Pool." Rita told him confidently. "I've been thinking on that recently. You know, the memories of how you were turned came to me. I have been going over them in my mind over and over, and the more I think about it the more I believe that the Moon had just as much to do with you changing as the Moon Pool. That's why your tail turned silver. Because you pushed away the Moon Pool's influence over you and the moon's magic was able to run free."

"So, what?" Marcus asked. "Is there some other way to get changed into a merman?"

"Yes." Rita nodded. "The way Evie was changed seems to give the Moon Pool alone control over changing you. We haven't had any trouble with her powers moving out of control."

Marcus was quiet as he considered Rita's proposal. He stared down at the floor and then his gaze drifted unconsciously over to the pool of water that led to the ocean. He had gone into that pool more times than he could count with Ondina by his side. He had often thought about how amazing it would be to be able to move through the sea with the same ease that she had. He had also thought about the same issue that Rita had brought up to him. He did not want to lose Ondina, and yet he had always known in his heart that one day she would return to the pod. He _wanted_ her to return. Not because he did not love her anymore, or thought he would grow out of love with her, but because it would have been what was best for her. But now, faced with an opportunity to be with her forever, Marcus began to allow himself to hope for a future. One he could share with the mermaid that had stolen his heart.

"Let me talk to her." He said finally. "This isn't my decision to make. It's hers. She'll have to be the one to put up with me for the rest of her life. If she doesn't want me to get a tail, I don't want one."

 **Hello, hello my readers. And with that we are one step closer to the close of this story. One chapter left. I have already begun writing it as well. As always, thank you so much for your continued reviews. They mean the world to me. You guys and girls are the best. -Hallowed**


	46. End?

He went searching for Ondina in perhaps the most roundabout way he possibly could have. He made his way down to the beach and shrugged off his shirt, shoes, and socks. He shivered at the feel of the sand beneath his toes and ran into the waves. He dove beneath the water and swam underwater until he could no longer touch the ocean's floor. He briefly surfaced for air and lazily began to backstroke his way into deeper waters. Marcus found it rather peaceful to simply swim without any particular destination. He wasn't sure how far he had gone or how long he had been maintaining his leisurely backstroke but when he righted himself and looked around land was barely visible in the distance. In fact he had inadvertently gotten closer to Mako than the mainland. He floated on his back with his hands behind his head and his eyes closed as he waited for Ondina's arrival.

Sure enough after a little while longer a very annoyed voice came from right behind his head. " _What_ are you doing?" Ondina demanded.

"Relaxing." Marcus said without moving. Ondina was quiet and then all at once Marcus felt hands grab his shoulders and force him under the water. He came sputtering to the surface furiously, coughing water out of his lungs. "Why did you do that? I could have drowned!" He wheezed, treading water and struggling to regain his breath.

"You wouldn't have drowned." Ondina scoffed. "As if I would let you."

"That doesn't make the attempt at drowning me any better!" Marcus scowled. He glared at Ondina until she slowly smiled at him and his anger melted away. "Not fair." He sighed.

"So what are you doing out this far out anyways?" Ondina asked, swimming in lazy circles around him. "Do you have any idea how terrified I was when I saw your clothes on the beach and you nowhere in sight?"

"Oh come on now," Marcus chided her. "You have had me swimming with _sharks_ more times than I can count. And you were scared because I swam out a little far?"

"Well when you put it like _that_ …" Ondina frowned and Marcus grinned at her. "So are you going to tell me why you were out here?"

"I was looking for you actually." Marcus said. "Figured that you would be out swimming today."

"I was earlier." Ondina nodded. "I had just returned when I found your clothes. You know, this wasn't very smart. What if I wasn't around?"

"It's a long swim back?" Marcus suggested brightly.

Ondina laughed and rolled her eyes. "So you said you were looking for me, what did you want?"

Marcus's smile faltered and he took Ondina's hands in his own. He breathed out a quiet sigh as he looked her in the eyes. Ondina frowned as she beheld the conflict behind Marcus's eyes. Her brow furrowed before a light dawned in her eyes. The blond mermaid nodded slowly. "So, Rita told you?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah." Marcus nodded.

"I guess I sort of expected this." Ondina said. Marcus physically recoiled at the hurt in her voice. "I'm not angry with you. You need to do what is best for you."

"I beg your pardon?" Marcus asked, not following her.

"Really." Ondina told him sincerely. "I'm not. Chris and David made the same choice. I thought that maybe you would… but like I said I'm not angry."

"Chris and David told you 'no'." Marcus said slowly. "Right?"

Ondina nodded sadly, her eyes distant. "And it's perfectly fine for you to do the same." She sighed again and her tail brushed Marcus's legs. Her scales were smooth against his legs. "Just… don't leave too fast alright?"

Marcus stared at her incredulously as he finally understood what Ondina was saying. His astonishment turned to mirth after a minute and he broke into a fit of laughter. Ondina looked at him in confusion and then hurt, at least until Marcus wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. She returned the embrace, though hesitantly, and waited until Marcus's laughter subsided before asking, "What's so funny?"

"You." Marcus told her. He looked into her eyes and enunciated every syllable very clearly when he said, "I'm not saying no Ondina."

"Then, you are saying yes?" Her eyes widened in disbelief and an uncertain smile spread across her face.

"Well," Marcus said at length. Ondina stared at him intensely, waiting for his answer. He grinned at her and shrugged. "That is really up to you. I told Rita that I was going to let you choose."

"I can't do that." Ondina said immediately.

Marcus laughed and shook his head. "I think you already did, what with that reaction and all." He said. "So yes, my answer is yes. Guess you are stuck with me."

Ondina shouted in delight and pulled him beneath the water. She spun their bodies in a spiral as she swam, her tail intertwined with Marcus's legs. He smiled at her underneath the water as she pulled him along and she smiled back.

Later that day, when Marcus and Ondina told them of his decision they were just as pleased with his decision as Ondina had been. "So, next full moon right?" Zach asked. "When is that?"

"Shouldn't you be somewhat aware of that?" Marcus wondered. "Like, more aware than a land boy? It's tomorrow Zach."

"I stopped caring honestly." Zach admitted with a carefree shrug.

"That's certainly reassuring." Marcus muttered. Ondina elbowed him in the ribs discreetly and he felt his breath whoosh out of his lungs. "I'm glad I can depend on you guys." Marcus gasped out, glaring at Ondina who smiled saint-like in response.

"So, you are really going through with this?" Chris asked him hesitantly. He was sliding his glass of juice back and forth on the table in front of him with a contemplative look on his face. "You aren't like… scared or anything?"

"Nope." To show the depth of his lack of worry he yawned and stretched. Ondina elbowed him in the ribs again. He growled at her and claimed her hands in his own, which was both affectionate and defensive in effect. "Should I be?"

"I mean... I guess?" Chris seemed to be having trouble forming a coherent argument for Marcus's decision. "You don't know what could happen."

"I don't know what could happen five minutes from now either." Marcus reminded him. "Neither do you. Does that mean you should go live under a rock for the next five minutes to make sure that nothing bad happens? What about the five minutes after that?"

"That was deep man." Cam laughed.

Marcus stared intently at Chris's uncertain glance toward Mimmi and narrowed his eyes. He glanced over to Ondina and inclined his head slightly to Chris and Mimmi with a questioning look in his eye. Ondina causally leaned over as though to put her head on his shoulder but instead whispered, "Chris is talking about going through with the transformation now. He can't make up his mind."

"What does Mimmi want him to do?" Marcus murmured back.

"She wants him to make the change, but she won't ask him to. She won't even tell him what she wants. Doesn't want to influence his decision."

"Hm…." Marcus mused, looking them over. "Hey, Chris?"

Chris broke away from his silent conversation with Mimmi with some annoyance and looked over to Marcus. "What's up?" He asked politely.

"Tell me something; you love dolphins right?" Marcus inquired.

"Of course." Chris nodded emphatically. "I love working with them. They're so intelligent."

Marcus screwed up his face in apparent confusion and nudged Ondina with one arm. He looked questioningly at her and she looked back at him with the same feigned uncertainty. "Huh." Marcus grunted.

Both Mimmi and Chris seemed waiting on Marcus or Ondina to explain their expressions but none was forthcoming. "Huh?" Chris repeated. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." Marcus shrugged. "I was just thinking about how I'm going to be able to hang with dolphins whenever I want. _You_ on the other hand will have to go to work."

"It's not just dolphins." Chris exploded. "What about my family? College? Work?"

"Oh yes, I forgot, getting a tail means that you will _never_ be able to go on land ever again." Marcus smacked his head as though remembering. He turned and glared at Ondina. "I always knew you were a rule breaker."

"I don't see you complaining." She protested.

"She makes a good point." Marcus said fairly. "Anyways, Chris, dude, come on. Live a little. Chances like this don't come around all that often."

"This is more than just some everyday decision." Chris argued, but he sounded far from sure of himself.

"That's for you to say." Marcus told him. He got up from the table and wandered out of the café. He heard someone jogging to catch up to him and Ondina appeared at his side. "Think that will work?"

"I don't know." She said honestly. "But we'll find out tomorrow. What were your plans for the rest of the day?"

"I want to go back to Mako and climb those cliffs again." Marcus winked at Ondina when she looked at him in shock and worry. "Kidding, just kidding."

Despite his bold attitude towards the change, Marcus was still rather nervous. Ondina and the others had assured him that it was painless, but he was still wary nonetheless. The group met on the island with Mimmi and, to Marcus's slight surprise, Chris arriving last. The other land boy smiled at Marcus uncertainly and shrugged. "You were right." He told him.

"Duh." Marcus rolled his eyes.

"You two ready?" Evie asked eagerly.

"As I can be I guess." Marcus shrugged.

"Let's go before I lose my nerve." Chris gulped.

They walked into the interior of the island with the moon high overhead. Marcus had been wary of being on Mako on the night of a full moon but he had not been affected in the slightest. The young pod members led the land boys to an entrance to a cave and stood by the entrance. "Go on inside." Zach told them with a smile.

"We'll be waiting when you… get out." Evie added.

"What do we do when we get in there?" Marcus asked as he stepped into the tunnel.

"You'll figure it out." Ondina promised.

"So… this is it then?" Chris gulped nervously, his eyes on the tunnel with growing apprehension. "I'm not sure I can-,"

"Nope." Marcus grabbed him by the back of the collar just as he began to turn away. He marched down the tunnel with Chris in tow, pausing briefly to wave back at the somewhat surprised mermaids and merman. "See you guys on the other side."

The entrance to the cave shimmered slightly and then a stone wall appeared, cutting off the land boys from the rest of the island. Chris gave a cry of dismay and broke free of Marcus's grip. He ran to the wall and pushed hard on it, but the stone refused to give. He whirled on Marcus in fury, but blinked when he realized that he was alone. Marcus had moved further down the tunnel and stepped into a room with a glowing blue trident symbol on the wall. He was joined by Chris a moment later. "What is this?" He asked in hushed tones.

Marcus examined the trident symbol with mild interest, touching one hand to it just as Chris joined him. Marcus straightened and opened his mouth to speak when the floor beneath them seemed to turn into a liquid. Almost comically, Chris and Marcus looked at one another in surprise before they both fell through the floor and into the Moon Pool below.

 **Well my loyal readers, that is it. That is the end of this story. A bit cruel of me to leave you on a cliffhanger, but it is what it is. As I said the adventures of Marcus and the rest of the Mako crew is far from over. This is simply the end of this story. I'm going to call the next story Find The Secret. For now, thank you so much for taking the time to follow this story. It means the world to me, truly it does. I do not know when the next story will be available, but I will post an update on this story when it is. Just something to let you know. At any rate, thank you again from the bottom of my heart. You all mean the world to me. Wishing all of you a wonderful holiday season and a great New Year and until next time, Hallowed.**

 **P.S: I will write the names correctly in the next story. Promise.**


	47. Update

Well, as promised, Find the Secret is now up. Here is your heads-up.


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